


The Wolf's Eye

by ThatOneOctopus



Series: Stolen Hearts [1]
Category: Lupin III
Genre: Angst, Criminals Working Out Their Feelings, Developing Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Jigen Doesn't Like the Woods, M/M, Magical Shenanigans, Minor Original Character(s), One (1) Magic Rock, Silly and serious, Supernatural Elements, Violence, Werewolf Transformation, Werewolves, Zenigata is Very Confused
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2020-12-07 13:43:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 25,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20976866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatOneOctopus/pseuds/ThatOneOctopus
Summary: A unique gem surrounded by local legends and minimal security seems like a quick and easy job, but Lupin isn't the only one after this supposedly magical stone... And the competition may not be human.One fateful bite later, and Lupin and Jigen are sent on mad dash to trade the gem for a cure to a fantastical curse before the full moon rises. To make matters even more complicated, the key to slowing the curse and keeping a hold on humanity are feelings neither of them are inclined to talk openly about, but they may have no choice if they want to keep one of them from becoming a monster.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Happy October everybody! Or whenever the heck you're reading this! As Halloween is approaching, I felt like using the opportunity to share a little something: I freakin' love werewolves, you guys. Like...a lot. 
> 
> This is my first attempt at writing a fic solo, and even though I've been a fan of Lupin III for years, it's also my first time writing for the fandom. So in short, you're getting a double-whammy of "I don't know what I'm doing" with this one. I'm hoping to hit a certain balance between serious and goofy, so any and all feedback would be fabulous. Though you're already fabulous for even clicking on this, quite frankly.
> 
> The chapter feels kinda short to me, but I would rather it be a little short than overly long, and I have the next chapter pretty well blocked out. Hopefully that means the next update will be relatively soon. Hopefully.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small town, a spooky forest, and a gem Lupin has his eye on. What could possibly go wrong?

"The Wolf's Eye?"

"Yup! Sounds cool, right?"

Jigen seems unimpressed. "So what, is it some kinda fancy tiger's eye?"

"Oh no, it's _way_ more valuable than that!" Lupin makes a sweeping gesture to emphasize his point, grinning like an idiot.

Lupin’s attitude is as infuriatingly bright as the morning sun, and even though they both agreed last night that they would go over their next heist as they left the hotel today, Jigen can’t help but feel it’s too early for this. Granted, he feels 9AM is too early for much of anything, but especially this.

Lupin keeps talking as they climb into his little yellow Fiat. "There's no gem like this one anywhere else in the world! Most people thought it didn't even exist until it was recovered just recently!"

"Recovered?"

"Well, it's got a bit of a local legend around it." Satisfied that he's piqued Jigen's interest, Lupin starts the car and pulls out of the hotel parking lot. "Y'see, once upon a time it was supposedly an actual wolf's eye that got turned into a gem."

"…What."

"With _magic!"_ Lupin waggles his eyebrows dramatically, rather than taking his hands off the wheel. "See, the story goes, it was the eye of a werewolf who once lived in the woods near the town where the gem was found, and it contained all his power after he died!"

Jigen sighs and reaches for a cigarette. This is gonna be one of _those_ jobs, isn't it.

Unfazed, Lupin continues. "There's tons of stories in this place about werewolves, who kept the gem in secret for hundreds of years…until now. Supposedly there's a whole bunch of them out in those woods, imagine that!" When he only gets a derisive snort in response, Lupin chuckles as his eyes scan the highway signs. "But you know, a story like that'll make it worth even more money to the right people, don'tcha think?"

He receives no answer, which is as good as an agreement in Lupin's eyes.

* * *

The rest of the drive is uneventful, with only occasional bickering over the map as they leave the highways behind and delve into a maze of countryside and backroads. However, as they draw closer to the town they seek, the roads go from nearly deserted to much too full for what they were built, with cars of all types crowding for room in the tight space. The poor little Fiat has no chance of muscling through all the crowds looking to catch a glimpse of the same treasure they’re after.

So they improvise. It isn't the first time their plucky car has had to go off-road, though usually they're fleeing for their lives when it happens, which makes this a nice change of pace. Nice according to Lupin, anyway, as Jigen complains and curses at every rock and hill they bounce over. His mood isn’t improved when Lupin misjudges the size of an embankment and nearly gets them stuck in a tree, but they break through easily enough and he can’t stay mad for long. Despite some time lost, the unconventional route gets them where they need to be, with only a few bumps as the price to pay for making it to their destination by nightfall.

It’s a small town, but not tiny. Overshadowed by the wild forest that creeps up the mountain nearby like moss on a rotten log, even all the noise of the visitors here to see the Wolf’s Eye seems somehow muffled by the trees, as though modern commotion can’t pierce such an ancient place. Clearly, this town never gets more than a handful of visitors, and as a result every cafe and hotel is full to bursting--but with Lupin, that’s not a problem. He cons them into a room at a quaint little hotel only a few blocks from the tiny local museum where the Wolf’s Eye is being kept, and by the time the moon rises he’s sitting at a small table in their room, pouring over the intel he’s gathered on their target.

“Geez, you’d think if this rock’s such a big deal, they wouldn’t display it in a place like this,” Jigen remarks from where he’s draped across the couch, absently clicking through channels on the TV. “No way they’ve got decent security.”

Lupin hums without looking up. “That’s why it’s not gonna be here long, even without our help. Next week the Eye’s supposed to be sent to a gemology lab in Switzerland for study, and from there high-end museums will start battling it out for who gets to actually display the thing.” He lifts his head to flash a smug grin at his partner. “Or they _would,_ if not for us.”

“But why wait to send it? It almost feels too easy to snag from a place like this.”

“Well remember, it plays a big part in a lot of local lore, so my guess is there was enough fuss from the people here that they were allowed to display it for a very limited time, mostly intended to let the locals get a look.”

“Then word got out, and now everybody wants in on the brief display…” Jigen sighs, eyes on the TV again. “I get it. So we’re probably dealing with sheer manpower rather than tech as far as security goes, huh?”

Lupin chuckles. “And boy, do we know how to handle that!”

* * *

The next morning, a note arrives at the museum, stating that the infamous Lupin III is going to steal the Wolf’s Eye tomorrow night. A buzz of worry and excitement ripples through the town. People are looking all over as they traverse the streets, hoping to get lucky enough to maybe spot the legendary thief. Needless to say, the name ‘Lupin’ is on everyone’s lips, and even more attention is drawn to the museum, putting enormous stress on the already struggling local law enforcement. But only hours after the notice arrives, a police car pulls up, and a man in a trench coat emerges to be greeted by the local police chief and the museum’s curator.

“Inspector, thank you so much for coming so quickly.” The curator steps forward, wringing her hands and giving Zenigata a searching look.

The police chief nods agreement. “We’ve been stretched thin as it is with all the tourists; we’re just not equipped to handle something like this.”

For a long moment Zenigata is silent, narrowing his eyes as he regards the museum thoughtfully. It’s such an easy target, meant to house artifacts that are only truly valuable to the town’s history. There’s no way they’re ready for someone like Lupin.

But then again, no one ever really is.

“How many men do you have on duty here?” he asks, startling the curator and chief by suddenly snapping out of his reverie like nothing happened.

“Ah, we have twelve officers and four security personnel from the museum itself.” the chief answers.

Zenigata grumbles quietly to himself as he does the quick mental math. “So adding in the men I have with me, that’s twenty-one...nowhere near enough to stop Lupin.”

“Should we move the Eye to a safer location?” the curator suggests hesitantly.

“Do you _have_ a safer location?” Zenigata turns to her as she falters, the police chief stepping in to answer for her.

“There’s the vault at the local bank, we could--”

“Lupin can crack a basic bank vault in his sleep.” Zenigata cuts him off with a shake of his head. “No, at this point we may as well leave it where it is, and get as many men in strategic positions around it as we can. I’ll stay in the room to watch the Eye personally as well.”

The curator and chief both seem relieved, but Zenigata remains tense. The odds are stacked against them even more than usual, and ever since he left the car he’s felt like something is…_off._ And not in the normal way when dealing with Lupin.

Sharply lifting his head to look around, he just misses spotting two figures duck out of sight on a nearby rooftop.

“Pops made damn good time, even for him.” Jigen grumbles, lying flat on his stomach with Lupin practically on top of him to stay hidden.

“Aw, don’t worry about it.” Lupin leans down so they’re almost cheek-to-cheek. “He would’ve been here in time for the job anyway, he always is.”

He finally deigns to roll off of his partner so they can crawl back to the edge of the roof where they climbed up, staying low just in case Zenigata is still watching. “Hey, what do you say we take a look around town?” Lupin suggests cheerily. “There’s not much more to do casing the place, so we’ve got plenty of time to kill.”

Jigen’s annoyed grunt does nothing to dissuade him, and he pats the gunman’s shoulder once they reach the ground. “C’mon, it’ll be fun!"

* * *

They spend most of the afternoon seeking out the least-crowded places and keeping an eye out for Zenigata’s men, who are already patrolling the streets. This involves taking a few more roof-based shortcuts, but they do manage to get their hands on some good food and hear a couple werewolf stories from the more talkative locals (_“He was ten feet tall, all hair and fangs and claws! Of course I ran for my life, I could hear him snarling behind me in the trees!”_).

As the sun sets they find themselves wandering to the edge of town where the old forest looms, the shadows of the trees stretching like fingers itching to envelop the town in their grasp. Lupin is still lighthearted about the tall tales, but it’s somehow harder to laugh with the actual woods the legends all come from right in front of them. Something does feel…_strange_ about the forest. It’s impossible for either of them to put their finger on just what it is, but they find themselves almost subconsciously avoiding the trees as they walk, their conversation sputtering out into a tense silence. Whatever the feeling is, it seems to be affecting the tourists as well, as they only pass a handful actually venturing to the treeline, all of whom seem nervous.

Night falls, and Lupin is about to suggest they head back to the hotel when Jigen suddenly stops and whips around towards the trees.

“Whoa, what’s the matter?” Lupin frowns as he notices his partner reaching for his gun.

“Didn’t you see that?!”

Lupin approaches and leans in close to Jigen in an attempt to see what he’s seeing. “Uh… no?”

Jigen scowls, but doesn’t push the thief away, instead nodding into the forest. “The eyes? They were right there.”

“I hate to tell you this, Jigen, but…” Lupin sighs and puts on a tone of mock-seriousness. “It’s a forest. Lots of things with eyes live in there.”

Now the gunman does shove him back, storming off a few yards before stopping again to glower at the trees. Lupin responds with a pout. “It was probably a fox or something… C’mon, this place is making you jumpy. Let’s go back.” Truth be told, he’s a little uneasy himself. Jigen doesn’t usually spook quite so easy, and having his partner on-edge is only making it harder to ignore the totally irrational but still very creepy vibes coming from these damn woods.

Jigen says nothing, but allows himself to be steered back towards the hustle and bustle of the town.

As they walk, neither of them looks back to see the shape of a young man appear silently among the trees, bright yellow eyes watching them retreat into civilization.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A heist with unexpected problems, what a surprise. What is surprising, however, is just who is causing the problems and what the hell is going on with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so when I said I'd get the next chapter out soon, I didn't realize I meant same-day soon, but here we are. I seem to be on a roll, but this probably won't become a regular occurrence. 
> 
> Anyway, continued thanks to anyone out there reading this, it really does mean the world to me to have ANYONE reading my first solo fic attempt.

Twenty-four hours pass, and the night of the heist arrives. News vans are surrounding the front gate of the museum, while crowds of people pack into the street behind them in hopes of glimpsing the legendary Lupin III in action. Several police officers are keeping the hordes back as best they can, but the rest of their coworkers are inside the building, all on high alert as they take their positions to defend the Wolf’s Eye.

As instructed, the room where the Eye is being kept is sealed off as much as possible, with Inspector Zenigata and three officers surrounding the glass case, weapons at the ready for any sign of movement from outside.

Zenigata doesn’t like this. Granted, he’s always tense while waiting for Lupin to show his face, but this time feels more _uncomfortable._ All day he’s gotten the feeling of people watching the museum, glimpses of shadows out of the corner of his eye. While this shouldn’t be unusual, given that this is Lupin’s target, something just isn’t right. Lupin is never this easy to detect.

So if not him...who else is watching?

The crackle of a walkie-talkie snaps Zenigata back to the present, reporting no signs of Lupin from the men out at the perimeter. So far so good.

Zenigata turns back to the case they're guarding for a moment. The Wolf's Eye truly lives up to its name: round and perfectly smooth, with a circle of onyx laid in the middle like a pupil, it really does feel like the golden gem could be looking back at him.

Well, it certainly won't be leaving his sight any time soon, even if he has to stand here locked in a staring contest with it all night.

No sooner does he make this internal vow, than the sound of raised voices start echoing from just outside the door. A couple officers move towards the door instinctively, hands tightening on their weapons, but Zenigata calls them back. "Don't touch that door! That's just what he wants, now get ready!"

Sure enough, within moments the commotion outside abruptly halts, and the door swings open to reveal…

An empty room. All the lights are out, and there's no sign of the officers who were posted there--there isn't even any visible sign of a struggle from where they're standing. Everything is silent.

Then a small ball rolls out of the darkness into the doorway, and Zenigata has a split-second to realize what it is before all hell breaks loose.

“Smoke bomb!”

Cries of surprise and fits of coughing as smoke fills the room almost drown out the sound of two sets of footsteps rushing in, weaving around the stunned officers towards the display case behind Zenigata. The Inspector whirls around and reaches for the case, hoping to secure it, but instead of glass his hand falls on...another hand?

“Why Pops, holding hands already? We haven’t even had our first date!” Lupin’s voice comes out of the smoke with his usual annoying confidence as Zenigata jerks his hand back in surprise.

An instant later he realizes his mistake and rushes forward again, pushing off the now-empty case to charge after retreating footsteps and a lanky silhouette. He draws his gun as he pushes out of the room and free from the smoke cloud, but he has no chance to raise it, let alone fire. A gunshot rings out and the gun is ripped from Zenigata’s hand, clattering into the smoke behind him. He can only grit his teeth in frustration as he looks up to see two familiar, infuriating grins.

Jigen’s revolver is still leveled at the Inspector as Lupin shakes his head condescendingly. “It was a good try, Pops, but there’s only so much you could do with a dinky place like this. Don’t worry,” he flashes the gem in his hand, “We’ll find a good home for this baby.”

The voices of officers from other parts of the building start shouting and moving closer, causing Jigen to nudge Lupin, to which he nods.

“We’ll see you next time, au revoir!” And with that, the thief gives an exaggerated bow before he and Jigen take off running, whirling around a corner and up a flight of stairs as Zenigata bristles in anger behind them.

“Get back here! Lupin!”

The roof access door of the museum bursts open and the crowd below roars. Lupin almost pauses to address his adoring (and not-so-adoring) public, but Zenigata comes erupting out the doorway behind him, and he’d rather not take a chance on spending a night handcuffed to Pops. Instead, he just blows a kiss to the crowd as cameras flash, before leaping to the roof of a neighboring building and continuing the mad dash to escape.

Zenigata is lagging behind as they cross two more roofs and start down a fire escape, but as Lupin is about to look back to gauge whether or not they’re clear yet Jigen suddenly grabs his shoulder.

“Sniper!” He snarls, yanking Lupin into a crouch on the fire escape as the crack of gunfire rings out, and a bullet hits the wall right where Lupin’s head had been a moment earlier.

“How’d he get there from the museum so fast, we had all the guards accounted for!” Lupin cries, more annoyed and confused than actually fearing for his life.

Jigen makes a vague ‘I don’t know’ grunt as they leap the railing and roll into a landing on the ground below, and for a moment the conversation is put on hold as they start running with even more urgency than before. The gunfire continues to trail them, bullets whizzing past much too close for comfort, driving them to dive behind a dumpster for cover as they catch their breath.

Lupin looks up at the sound of footsteps to see Zenigata tearing after them, and starts to reach for his gun, but it turns out he needn’t have bothered. Suddenly the Inspector is forced to stop and hide behind a statue as the sniper’s attention turns to him, a little cloud of dust flying up where a bullet hits the stone.

“Wait, Pops, this guy isn’t with you?!” Lupin calls, startled.

“No he’s not with me!” Zenigata snaps. “You mean he isn’t with you?!”

“Pops,” Lupin sighs in exasperation, “The only guy I ever have sniping is right here!” He gestures at Jigen, as though Zenigata somehow hasn’t noticed him until now.

“So then someone else wants that gem, too,” Jigen remarks, trying to peek around the corner of the dumpster at their assailant. “That’s just great.”

Lupin huffs indignantly. “Well whoever they are, they’re not getting it. We stole it fair and square!”

He exchanges a nod with Jigen, and in unison they spring from cover towards a nearby alley, ignoring Zenigata’s angry yells of _“Fair and square?!”_ behind them. They whip around the corner and out of the sniper’s gaze, only for Jigen to nearly lose his hat as he has to suddenly duck under a swinging pipe.

The man standing there is huge: well over six feet tall and built like a tank, clapping the bit of pipe he’s holding in his free hand threateningly. There’s something almost feral in his smirk, and they get the distinct feeling this will end in violence even if they surrender.

“Oookay, so this was the wrong way,” Lupin yelps as he stumbles to a halt and backs up as much as possible without becoming vulnerable to the sniper.

Jigen reaches for his gun, but rather than retreat, the stranger charges forward, forcing Lupin and Jigen to dive in different directions to avoid another swing of the pipe. There’s a blood-chilling joy in all the man’s movements, with attacks that come surprisingly fast for the power behind them, gradually herding the thief and the gunman farther down the alley without giving them time to counter. The strength, agility, and seemingly unwavering stamina almost feels _unnatural._

But suddenly the stranger freezes, and an instant later leans to the side as the sniper rifle cracks much louder than before, sending a bullet almost straight down at the man. He looks up and grins as a younger man springs from the roof and rolls into a landing, still clutching the rifle as he meets the large man’s gaze with his teeth bared.

“Wait, so _they’re_ not even working together?!” Lupin can’t help but exclaim. “How many teams are in play here?!”

The burly stranger glances at him before speaking for the first time, his English laced by an accent Lupin vaguely recognizes. “I’m my own team.”

Taking advantage of the distraction, the young man rushes the other, only to be grabbed by the hair and have his own momentum used to sling him into a wall. He snarls wordlessly and lunges again, and while the two strangers grapple with each other, Jigen pulls his gun and glances sidelong at Lupin.

“Got a plan?” He mutters under his breath.

Lupin grins. “Always.”

A second smoke bomb rolls from Lupin’s sleeve, and by the time it hits the ground and goes off, he and Jigen have already turned and started running.

“We can deal with these guys after we stash the Eye--” Lupin starts to explain, but he’s cut off as the young man’s sniper rifle is _hurled_ into the back of his legs, knocking him flat on his face with a yelp.

Jigen whips around, almost as pissed off by the disrespectful treatment of a gun as he is by the attack on Lupin, and the instant the young man leaps from the smoke at them, a bullet hits his shoulder. He stumbles and drops to his knees, only to have Jigen’s foot press him down onto his stomach and a revolver suddenly point at his face.

The large man hasn’t appeared. Why hasn’t he appeared? Lupin squints into the smoke cloud as he hauls himself to his feet. He can see the vague shape of someone moving, but…

A low, rumbling growl comes from where the stranger should be, sending chills down the spines of all three of them. The pinned young man seems especially frantic, whining almost like a dog as he seems to struggle with the idea of risking getting shot again by Jigen.

The growl sounds again, sharper and more violent this time.

“Uh… You okay over there, buddy?” Lupin speaks up, sounding much more apprehensive than he intended.

No answer. Something is scraping the ground.

“Lupin…” Jigen mutters, both a warning and a question. His gun is still pointed at the young man at his feet, but his eyes are on the slowly-dissipating smoke.

The moon is only a couple days from being full, so even without street lights they can make out a figure among the smoke that seems even larger than the man from before. It growls again.

Lupin opens his mouth to speak again when several things all happen at once.

Tires screech as a car slides to face down the alley from behind the large man, momentarily blinding them with its headlights. The stranger, or whatever took his place, rushes past them at an almost impossible speed, and Lupin can swear he feels fur brush against him. The young man snarls and twists himself around with a lunge as he gets back on his hands and knees, and before they know what’s happening, he’s vanished as well. Then they can see again, and a very familiar silhouette is leaping out of the car and rushing towards them.

“Lupin!”

“Pops!” Lupin quickly finds his voice again, though his smile doesn’t reach his eyes. “You’ve got great timing for once! Sorry we can’t stay, though!”

Just like that, they’re off and running again, as though nothing had happened to interrupt their usual flight from Zenigata.

* * *

“Okay, so I admit, that was unexpected,” Lupin pants as they finally climb in the window of their hotel room. It hadn’t taken long to lose the police again, and now it’s simply a matter of making sure they have everything before making a break for the Fiat and leaving town. “But overall, I’d say that went pretty well!”

When he isn’t immediately snapped at, the thief becomes concerned. He looks back as Jigen follows him through the window, and freezes halfway through opening his mouth to ask if his partner was listening. The gunman’s left forearm is bleeding, and it’s obvious Jigen is focused on keeping it from dripping and leaving a trail for Zenigata to follow.

“Whoa, whoa, what happened to you?” Lupin steps forward and hesitates half a second to let Jigen see he’s approaching, before pulling back his partner’s sleeve to get a better look. “You gotta tell me this stuff whe--” He stops mid sentence and blinks.

Even smeared with blood, the arrangement of punctures leaves no doubt to what happened.

It’s a bite mark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I was originally considering having Lupin be the one to get bitten, but ultimately decided against it to avoid comparisons to a certain other werewolf named Lupin.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which an unfriendly face makes a reappearance, and some flat-out crazy things are said. Jigen is annoyed, and Lupin is more worried than he lets on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you guys know I like writing dialogue? Because boy howdy, do I like writing dialogue.
> 
> Again, massive thanks to the hits and kudos this has gotten so far, and the couple comments have honestly made me squeal like a schoolgirl. You guys are great, no matter how few of you there are.

For about half a second, even Lupin is speechless.

“Did he…_bite_ you?!”

“Damn, that kid’s got some serious teeth,” Jigen grumbles, holding his injured arm up to the light with a grimace.

Lupin huffs, but he’s already digging through what gear they still have in the room for medical supplies. “No kidding, you better hope he had all his shots!” He misses the dark scowl Jigen shoots at him, and gives a triumphant “Aha!” as he holds a roll of bandages over his head. “Okay, let’s go wash that and slap some wrappings on it! We can do a more thorough job once we’re out of town, but let’s at least make sure you aren’t bleeding everywhere for the getaway.”

As he speaks, Lupin starts pushing Jigen towards the bathroom, but pauses in confusion when his partner digs his heels in. “What?”

“Lupin, you still have the Eye, right?”

“What, did you think I would drop it?” Lupin asks indignantly, reaching into his jacket and producing the gem. “Honestly Jigen, who do you think I am? Do I still have it, honestly!”

Jigen no longer resists the shoving, and only shrugs in answer as they crowd into the small bathroom.

Though he won’t admit it, Lupin has to admit he does kind of understand why Jigen would want to double-check on the safety of their prize. Those two guys had been something else, and given the timing of their attacks, it seems safe to assume they were also after the Eye, so keeping it close is really their best bet for holding on to the stone long enough to leave town. Besides, he’s sure Jigen would be pissed if he got his arm bitten by some punk for nothing.

Time is of the essence, so they only do a basic job of cleaning and binding the bite, both keenly aware that each second ticking by increases their chances of getting caught. Lupin stashes the remaining bandages in his pocket absentmindedly and checks his watch as Jigen makes sure the wrappings aren’t about to fall off, and they’re both turning for the door when something makes them freeze.

From the doorway, they can both see the curtains being lifted by the night breeze. Only… they made sure to close the window behind them after sneaking back in.

A quick glance is all it takes to agree on a course of action, and they both burst out of the bathroom with guns drawn and pointed towards the newly opened window--or more specifically, at the young man now standing there.

Even without the rifle, it’s impossible to not recognize him as the same person who was attacking them less than twenty minutes ago, though he seems… surprisingly non-hostile now. Sheepish, even.

Still, neither Lupin nor Jigen lower their guns an inch.

“If you’re here for the Eye, you’re out of luck,” Lupin begins what is surely a flawless bluff, but the young man makes a face and cuts him off.

“Just shut up and listen,” he snaps, his English marked by a heavy Italian accent.

As Lupin blinks in surprise, the stranger taps the screen of the phone in his hand before holding it out, having put whoever is on the other end on speaker.

“Master thief Lupin III, it’s a shame we can’t be speaking under more fortunate circumstances.” The voice of an older woman starts talking through the speaker in perfect English, her tone firm but not altogether unfriendly. “And if Lupin is here, then you must be Daisuke Jigen, yes?”

The thief and the gunman exchange another glance, this time more confused than tense. “Yeah, that’s us,” Lupin answers as he finally lowers his gun a little. “So then who are you?”

They can practically hear the woman’s smile. “Call me Alpha. Everyone else does.”

Lupin blinks at the odd name, but rolls with it. “Alright then, Ms. Alpha, what do you want with us? I assume this has to do with the Wolf’s Eye, considering your little friend here was just trying to kill us for it.”

“Yes, the Eye is a large part of why I’m contacting you, but there is another, more pressing matter at hand.” Her voice becomes grim. “Because of Nico here’s foolish, impulsive actions, you are now in far more danger than you realize.”

The young man--presumably called Nico--cringes a little and hangs his head in embarrassment.

“Which actions exactly? Shooting at us, throwing a rifle at me, or _biting_ my partner?” Lupin’s voice remains cool, but the twitch of his lips reveals his annoyance.

Alpha doesn’t miss a beat. “The bite. Tell me, are you familiar with the local folklore?”

“What, the whole werewolves in the forest thing? I did my homework.”

“Good, that saves me having to explain.” Alpha sighs and pauses, probably choosing her words carefully. “As strange as it may be to hear… those are not mere stories. We are, or at least were, the keepers of the Wolf’s Eye--and as the tales say, we are not human.”

“Whoa, okay, time out,” Lupin puts his gun the rest of the way down and holds up a hand, despite Alpha being unable to see it. “Am I reading this totally wrong, or are you trying to tell us you’re werewolves?”

Jigen scoffs beside him, not ready to lower his guard or his gun just yet.

“In a nutshell, yes.” Alpha says matter-of-factly. “And if you know the stories, then do you also know how the curse is spread from one person to the next?”

“What, through a--” Lupin freezes mid sentence.

All three people in the room go silent as their gazes slowly meet at the same point: Jigen’s bandaged arm.

“Through a bite.” Alpha finishes for him.

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” Jigen growls, “This is ridiculous. Are we seriously listening to this shit?!”

Nico bristles and bares his teeth in warning, but Lupin strides between him and Jigen to placate them both.

“Take it easy, both of you.” He looks to each of them in turn. “Now… Ms. Alpha, you have to admit this sounds pretty silly. You’re saying Jigen is going to turn into a werewolf?”

“Yes,” she says bluntly. “But I’m going to offer you a deal. The Wolf’s Eye has properties that are… uniquely useful to us, as well as its historical value, so I suggest a trade. The Eye for a cure.”

“A cure?” Lupin repeats, eyebrows raised.

“Yes, and you must reach us before the full moon rises, or your partner will be lost.” Alpha’s voice takes on such a somber, serious tone, it almost nullifies the utter insanity of what she’s saying. “The curse began its work on him the moment Nico bit him, and his condition will deteriorate until he turns.”

“He’s already started turning into one? I mean, I’d say you have a point, but he’s always been pretty furry.” Lupin can no longer hide his disbelief as he turns to look a scowling Jigen up and down.

Alpha sighs heavily. “I realize it is hard to believe…”

“No kidding!” Lupin saunters up beside Jigen while rummaging in his jacket pockets. “I mean, you’re telling me he’s gonna what, start howling at the moon? Sprout a tail? Get burned by silver?”

At his last mocking words, Lupin pulls something from his pocket and touches it to Jigen’s hand, but he doesn’t get the reaction he expects. Rather than an annoyed grumble about not touching him with random crap, the gunman flinches away with a startled cry and a couple choice curses, even dropping his revolver.

“Lupin, what the fuck was that?! That hurt! What...” His anger dissipates as he notices first the stunned look on Lupin’s face, and then what he’s holding.

A pocket watch, stolen in a recent heist and kept because Lupin thought it looked good. A pocket watch plated with silver.

They’re silent for a long moment, as Nico mutters into the phone what is presumably an explanation of what just happened for Alpha.

“If you need more proof, I’m sure Nico can help you with that, but you seem to be catching on already.” Alpha’s voice is tired now. “I won’t insist you make a choice this moment, but know that if you choose to ignore this offer, we cannot leave you in peace. If Jigen does turn, he could become too much of a danger to himself and everyone around him, and we can’t let that happen.”

“Are you threatening us?” Lupin says, though he’s still staring at the pink burn-like mark on Jigen’s hand where the silver touched him.

“I suppose I am. But if you do agree to our terms, simply approach the edge of the forest and one of us will meet you there to guide you. No need to look for us, we’ll find you.”

Lupin is silent, ignoring Jigen’s attempt to meet his gaze.

“Now we’ll let you decide for yourselves. I would wish you luck avoiding the police, but your reputation suggests I don’t need to.” Alpha’s tone softens ever-so-slightly, and Nico takes the cue to hang up the phone and tuck it back into his pocket.

He glances from Lupin to Jigen and back again as they continue staring at one another in a sort of silent debate, and this seems to be too much for the young man to deal with. Opening his mouth to speak and then deciding against it, he shrugs to himself and vaults out the window, vanishing into the night. Neither criminal tries to stop him.

“Lupin…” Jigen finally breaks the awkward silence, kneeling to pick up his gun. “You’re not seriously thinking of going along with this, are you?”

“Maybe.”

Scowl deepening, Jigen stalks forward to peer at Lupin’s face as if to check for a concussion or something, but the thief bats him away.

“C’mon, don’t tell me you aren’t a _little_ curious to see what this is about.” Lupin smirks to play it off like a joke, but Jigen has long since learned to notice when his smile is forced.

“You’re actually worried about this,” he groans, shaking his head at the thief. “I’m fine, don’t give up the treasure for fuck’s sake.”

Now it’s Lupin’s turn to frown. “Then what happened with this?” He holds up the silver watch, and Jigen hesitates as he glances down at the small burn on his hand.

“...Maybe I’m allergic.”

“Jigen, we’ve hit way too many jewelry stores to not know if you’re allergic to silver,” Lupin shakes his head. “Besides, an allergic reaction wouldn’t be that fast, _or_ that strong.”

“So you think I got bit by a werewolf?! C’mon, this has gotta be a stupid trap.” The gunman starts gathering their things to leave, but Lupin can see the hint of extra tension in his posture.

“If it is, I’ll get us out of it. Like usual. It’s no problem.”

No problem. No problem at all.

Realistically, Lupin knows the whole thing is ridiculous, and Jigen is absolutely right to be skeptical of a plan that involves giving up the gem they just stole. He knows, but…

_“You must reach us before the full moon rises, or your partner will be lost.”_

Alpha's words keep repeating in his head, twisting a cold knot of anxiety in his stomach that he can’t shake, no matter how much logic he applies to the situation. He knows if it was him who had been bitten, he would be waving the whole thing off as a stupid joke--but it’s not. It’s Jigen.

Jigen, who he’s far more attached to than any treasure; without whom everything about his wild lifestyle would feel… hollow. His partner in crime, his best friend, his… Well, Lupin is the first to admit, things can be complicated between them, as evidenced by a number of times when alcohol and adrenaline have caused things to happen that they both insist were meaningless. He still refuses to dwell too much on the intrusive what-ifs that every once in a while pop into his head while they’re alone together, but he won’t deny he’s willing to do all kinds of ridiculous things when it comes to keeping his partner safe.

If there’s even a chance that this is for real, he has to investigate, whether Jigen likes it or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I managed to knock this out much quicker than I expected, and honestly I have no idea when I'll really slow down. I think these shorter chapters work well for me, so I'll probably keep them around this length for now.
> 
> Also I have no idea if silver is supposed to work like that with werewolves, but it does in this continuity because why not.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys have another close call, and a new friend(?) is made. More information is learned about the curse; none of it is good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter than the others, but it just seemed like a natural stopping point, and hopefully I'll knock out the next one fairly soon.
> 
> Again, I'm floored this is already closing in on triple digits for hits. You guys are too good for me.

Unsurprisingly, Jigen sulks the entire way back to the car. Thanks to the time they lost talking to Alpha, the police have gotten some perimeters and roadblocks set up in strategic positions by the time they leave the hotel, meaning they have to do even more ducking and weaving--and yes, even more running over roofs. Because it’s a small town and the streets are crowded, they left the Fiat hidden away on the edge of town to allow an easier getaway, even though now they’re headed a different direction than planned.

“Are you gonna be like this the whole time?” Lupin breaks the tense silence as they finally climb into the car.

“Like what, pissed that you’re giving away treasure because somebody told you a werewolf story?”

“Oh come _on,”_ Lupin groans in exasperation. “The second something feels off, we’ll bail. Same as always!”

Jigen scoffs angrily as he rummages for a lighter. “This whole damn thing is _off!_ I don’t know why you’re taking this seriously!”

That actually shuts Lupin up for a moment. He has no answer he’s willing to give, since “because I’m worried about you” just isn’t something he can say without getting punched (or wanting to punch himself). Instead, he just gives a “harumph” and makes a show of starting the car, which seems to be enough for Jigen for the moment, too busy lighting a cigarette to read into the lack of an answer.

They drive in silence for a few minutes, Lupin keeping his eyes firmly on the road while Jigen leans towards the window, both pointedly avoiding interaction with each other. It’s the sort of moment that would make Fujiko throw up her hands and storm off, grumbling about immature idiots, while Goemon would stare at them in a mixture of confusion and disapproval. Luckily (or unluckily), neither of them are here to make the duo feel stupid for fighting, so they can be as childish as they damn well please.

At least, until the sirens start.

Both Lupin and Jigen snap upright to stare in the rearview mirror, and sure enough, they’re greeted by the sight of three police cars rapidly gaining on them.

“Aw c’mon Pops, now’s not the time!” Lupin cries as though Zenigata can hear him. “We’ve got something more important to be doing!”

He shifts the car into a higher gear and floors it, trying to fake out the pursuing police by starting down one path on a fork in the road, only to suddenly swerve sharply back to the other. This gains them a little ground on two of the cars, but the third doggedly sticks to their tail. Probably Zenigata.

So, their next course of action is clear. Without a word, Jigen climbs up onto the back of his seat to stick his upper body out of the Fiat’s sunroof, one hand on his hat to keep it from flying away. Even from here, he can see Zenigata flinch--he knows what’s coming.

One, two shots of the revolver, and the other two police cars are spinning out behind Zenigata, their tires blown. But the inspector is more wily, starting to swerve in a serpentine maneuver, presumably to avoid the next shots he’s sure are coming.

Jigen pauses to watch him for a moment, raising an eyebrow under his hat. “He seriously thinks that’ll work on me? C’mon Pops, you know better.”

Shaking his head in disappointment, he raises his gun to stop Zenigata’s approach, but a sudden noise makes him hesitate. It sounds like… creaking wood?

The only other hint he gets of what’s about to happen is a sudden yelp of alarm from Lupin.

Branches splinter and pine needles fly everywhere as a massive tree begins to fall from the edge of the forest, right across the road ahead of them. Jigen ducks back into the car as Lupin slams the gas, and they slip under the falling evergreen just in time, only suffering a shower of pine needles on their heads.

Zenigata, however, isn’t so lucky. Following the massive smash of the tree hitting pavement, they hear the sound of screaming brakes, followed by a crash, and Lupin brings them to a stop as both he and Jigen climb halfway out the sunroof to look back in astonishment. Not that this is terribly unusual--hell, they see this kind of thing all the time. But… usually only when they’re with Goemon. And there’s no sign of a cut: this tree was simply knocked over.

They slowly turn to stare at each other with startled eyes, ignoring the stream of curses from the other side of the tree that signals Zenigata is okay. Even Lupin is momentarily rendered speechless, only able to offer a one-shoulder shrug as he reaches up to ruffle some of the pine needles from his hair.

* * *

The sun appears over the mountain as they continue along the small road that runs along the edge of the treeline, and with the sunrise seems to come some relief from the tension of earlier. Now they’re more focused on making sure they’ve lost the police, as well as looking for a good spot to stop and wait for their supposed contact, so neither of them is focused on being huffy with each other.

“Let’s go maybe another mile and then we’ll…” Lupin trails off, causing Jigen to look up from his second smoke of the morning.

A woman is stepping out of the forest ahead of them, looking perfectly calm as her eyes lock onto their approaching Fiat, and she stops at the side of the road as though waiting.

Lupin and Jigen exchange a look, and moments later they’re pulling over just in front of the woman, Lupin rolling his window down to lean out and wave at her.

“Hello Miss! Am I right in guessing you’re here for us?” His tone is buttery smooth, the way he usually talks to attractive women, but his grin is genuine.

She nods curtly and approaches. Jigen can see why Lupin is already turning on the charm: she _is_ pretty--if maybe not in a totally traditional way--her severe expression accentuating her strong features. Her thick, dark hair is cropped a few inches above her shoulders, and she’s dressed for a hike, complete with backpack.

Lupin is still talking. “Well it’s lovely to meet you, Miss…?”

“Rajata,” she says simply. “And I’ve already been told who you both are.”

Her eyes drift to Jigen, and he realizes she’s staring at his bitten arm, her frown deepening a little. But Lupin doesn’t accept being ignored, and leans even farther out the window.

“So then, you’re--”

“The Wolf’s Eye,” she cuts the thief off, eyes snapping back to him. “You have it?”

“I do.”

“Show it to me.”

Lupin hesitates for a split-second, but shrugs it off and reaches into a pocket of his jacket before producing the gem, glinting in the early morning light.

Rajata visibly relaxes. “All right. Good. There’s a small road just up here, your car should be small enough to fit.” She motions to the trees and takes a step back from the Fiat.

Craning his neck, Lupin nods as he sees the dirt track she’s referring to, so small and hidden in the trees they probably wouldn’t have noticed it without her, before he shoots her another grin. “So, do you wanna kick Jigen out of the passenger seat, or take the back?”

“I…” She pauses, as though not expecting the question, but her neutral expression quickly returns. “The back is fine. I won’t ride with you for too long, though. Just need a little while to rest after helping you out earlier, then I’ll scout on foot.”

“Wait,” Jigen finally speaks as Rajata climbs into the backseat and drops her pack beside her. “That tree that fell. You’re sayin’ you did that?”

For the first time, the smallest hint of a smile crosses her face. “You’re welcome.”

“You could’ve crushed us!”

“But I didn’t.” She shrugs, and Jigen shoots a glare at Lupin as the thief cackles. “Besides, I figured international super-thieves could handle a falling tree.”

Jigen grumbles, but doesn’t pursue the argument, and Lupin starts the car back up, turning onto the tiny dirt road into the forest.

“Why Jigen,” Lupin grins, unable to resist, “Do you believe the whole werewolf thing now?”

The gunman bristles. “I… Look, there’s other ways a person could take down a tree without being a _werewolf._ Technology is a thing, Lupin.”

“He’s right,” Rajata speaks up, making them both look back at her in surprise. When she glances up, her eyes are suddenly golden. “I did just push it over, though.”

She looks closely at Jigen as he scoffs in annoyance. “If you don’t believe us, why did you come here?”

Jigen jabs a thumb at Lupin. “Because _he_ got all worked up over what your boss said.”

Lupin starts to protest, but Rajata speaks first in a suddenly grave tone. “Good, he should be.”

They both look back at her again in surprise. “Yeah, you know…” Lupin speaks slowly as he turns his eyes back to the path ahead. “Alpha said if we didn’t make it in time he would be ‘lost.’ What, uh, exactly did she mean by that?” He isn’t sure he wants to know the answer, in fact he’s sure he doesn’t; but he needs a better idea of just how urgent this is.

“...Turning isn’t as simple as it looks in the movies. You don’t just get bitten, see the full moon, and ‘poof,’ you’re a werewolf.” Rajata’s words are careful, her eyes continually moving to Jigen. “It’s… a violent process.”

“Violent?” Lupin repeats as he tries to keep his voice level.

“Mhm. It isn’t uncommon for those bitten to not survive.” She sighs, ignoring the way the car jerks violently with Lupin’s flinch. “And of those who do, many go feral, losing their minds completely and becoming unable to change back. They don’t even remember they were ever human to begin with. At that point… all we can do for them is to end their suffering as painlessly as possible.”

Jigen is staring determinedly out the window, but the tension in his shoulders shows that he’s listening, even if he doesn’t want to be.

“That’s a lotta ifs, though.” If Lupin’s voice is just a touch more strained than usual, nobody calls him on it. “If those things don’t happen, then--”

“He still couldn’t come with you. It takes years to fully master your transformations, and until then it would be too dangerous for all of us to let him leave. He would have to stay here with us until Alpha decides he’s ready to go back to the world.”

“You think you can make me stay?” Jigen finally speaks again, turning to shoot a dark look over his shoulder.

Rajata’s cool expression doesn’t change. “You think we can’t?”

“Well, good thing none of those things are gonna happen, because we’re gonna make it in time!” Lupin nearly yells to break the tension between his two passengers.

Neither of them bothers arguing with him, turning to look out their respective windows, and it’s clear the conversation is over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, two exposition chapters back-to-back. Things will start to pick up soon though, promise!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang has a lovely trip through the woods, then all hell breaks loose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyyyy, a slightly longer chapter this time! Admittedly this was the part of the story I had blocked out the least, so I may come back at some point to tidy it up a little. Maybe.
> 
> As a side note, I've been doing a lot of listening to the song Control by Matrix & Futurebound while brainstorming lately. It isn't really a Lupin style song, but the words fit the pairing here so damn well, I recommend it anyway.
> 
> I can't believe this shit broke a hundred hits, you guys what the heck. I weep. You're too good.

Jigen’s arm itches. He’s sure it’s just his head messing with him, rather than any magic curse. It has to be. If not because of common fucking sense, then he at least has to believe it’s a lie so he can smother this feeling of building anxiety. Can’t be hurt by what doesn’t exist, right?

...Right.

Still, this itch is driving him crazy, but he can’t scratch it without Lupin noticing, the hyper-observant bastard. And if he notices, he’ll just get even more worried.

Nothing is more of a pain than Lupin being worried about him; he never knows how to feel when the thief’s focus is on his well-being specifically. There are always so many more important things for them to be thinking about, but now here they are, going well out of their way to give up the gem they _just_ stole and maybe waltz into a trap, just because there might be something wrong with him.

Just because he can almost feel Nico’s teeth still; just because every heartbeat makes it feel like the wound is getting deeper, deeper…

They drive in relative silence for a couple hours, only interrupted by Lupin occasionally trying to chat with Rajata and getting shut down with a curt response every time. The uneven path has them bouncing around over rocks and tree roots, and at times Rajata has to point out where the track goes next when it becomes too overgrown, winding towards the mountain as the forest gets thicker and thicker.

Eventually, she tells them to stop, and as promised, she climbs out of the car.

“Are you...sure about walking?” Lupin sticks his head out the window with a frown. “We don’t mind if you stay.”

“No, I can scout ahead easier on foot. I’ll come back to the path to point the way when you need it, and I’ll let you know when your car can’t go any farther.”

“We gotta walk some of the way, huh?” Lupin sighs, but he’s smiling. “I wondered if we’d have to.”

Rajata nods and looks off into the trees. “Yes, but if nothing happens, we should still make it in plenty of time.”

Lupin looks as though he’s going to speak again, but Rajata doesn’t stick around to hear him out, striding off and quickly vanishing from sight. He huffs as he leans back in and rolls up the window. “What sort of thing do ya think she needs to scout for?”

“Her friends getting ready to ambush us?” Jigen suggests dryly, earning a scowl from Lupin.

“You still think this is a trap? Really?”

“I dunno… Maybe.” Jigen isn’t quite ready to admit how this is feeling increasingly real, especially since they spotted a deer about half an hour ago, and his first instinct was to _chase_ it. He’d gotten his hand on the door before Lupin asked what he was doing and snapped him out of it.

He turns and jumps to suddenly have Lupin’s face only a few inches from his, the thief leaning halfway out of his seat to fix him with a searching stare. “If you start feeling weird, you’ll tell me, right?”

Ouch. Jigen manages to keep his expression neutral, ignoring the stab of guilt in favor of reminding himself it’ll be better if Lupin isn’t making himself sick with worry. “Yeah, course I will.”

Lupin studies his face another few seconds, then leans back, apparently satisfied. They start moving again, and Jigen goes back to pretending he hasn’t been noticing more and more sounds and smells as they go along.

* * *

Rajata reappears now and then to motion in the correct direction, vanishing again just as quickly when they rumble past. Once in a while, Lupin will open the window to call out and ask if she needs a break, but every time she either shakes her head or ignores him entirely, and they continue in this pattern throughout the rest of the morning and afternoon.

Jigen tries to keep from fidgeting too much, but he’s sure Lupin is starting to notice his discomfort. This ache… it’s almost like he’s a kid with growing pains again, only this is slowly spreading. Like he doesn’t quite fit in his own body anymore.

Hell, maybe he doesn’t.

“It’s bothering you, isn’t it.” Lupin doesn’t take his eyes off the road, but his expression is somber. “Does it hurt?”

“I…” he almost starts to say “it’s fine,” but he can tell Lupin won’t accept that lie this time. “...Just a little. It ain’t that bad.”

Lupin just nods. God, he really must be anxious about this, if he’s being so quiet. There probably isn’t anything he can say now that’ll really help either; because what _can_ he say? If he’d paid closer attention when Nico wrenched up from under him last night, he wouldn’t have been bitten in the first place, and they’d be at least a hundred miles from here by now. No werewolves, no shitty forest--just the two of them enjoying the end of a job and the neat little treasure they got out of it.

How embarrassing.

Before Jigen can slip too deeply into internal self-loathing, Lupin gives a “hm?” of surprise that draws his attention to the path ahead of them. Only… it’s not really a path anymore. A small clearing opens up, with what can only be described as a tiny dirt parking lot taking up most of the space. One other small car is parked there, and Rajata is standing beside it, talking to the person sitting on the hood. A person with a sniper rifle lying across his lap.

“Hey, Nicky! I was wondering what happened to you!” Lupin waves out the window as he pulls in to park, earning a scowl from the sniper.

“Nico,” Rajata corrects Lupin for him.

“Right, right, Nico.” The thief grins unapologetically as he and Jigen climb out of the Fiat, causing the sniper to flinch and look away.

After a moment, Jigen realizes it’s because of him. The kid must still be pretty upset about causing this mess, as well as possibly condemning him to death, madness, or confinement if the plan doesn’t work out.

Rajata elbows him. “You have something to say, don’t you, Nico.”

Nico bristles, and takes a few moments to sulk and stew and in general make things more difficult, before he finally speaks as though giving up a personal secret. “...Sorry.”

The reluctance in his voice makes Lupin laugh, which in turn only serves to make Nico even more hostile, posture tensing so much it’s a wonder he doesn’t explode.

“Relax kid,” Jigen interjects before anyone starts fighting. “I ain’t turned yet. I know how it feels to screw up with someone’s life on the line, believe me.”

Nico doesn’t say anything, but he seems to relax as he nods and hops down from the hood of the car.

When he moves to leave, Lupin blinks in surprise. “Wait, where ya going? You’re not coming with us?”

“He has another job to do,” Rajata says flatly. “If we’re lucky, we won’t get involved at all.”

“What kind of job?” Lupin ignores the withering look she gives him.

Nico pauses and looks back at her with a frown. “Did you not tell them about--”

“No I didn’t,” she snaps. “Because if you do your damn job, they won’t need to know.”

Lupin and Jigen exchange a baffled look, while Nico seems to dig his heels in. _“Cazzo,_ Rajata, don’t you think they deserve to know who’s chasing them?!”

Rajata’s eyes flash yellow, and a canine growl rumbles from her throat as she bares her teeth at Nico, making him flinch and lower his gaze.

“So…” Lupin slips his hands into his pockets and strides forward. “Would this have to do with that other guy we met last night? The big one?”

There’s a tense silence for a moment, broken only by the clink of Jigen’s lighter and the calls of some distant birds. Rajata’s eyes are closed.

“Go,” she mutters to Nico, and he nods before shooting one last look at Lupin and Jigen, then he takes off into the trees and disappears.

They give her another minute to collect her thoughts, Lupin motioning for Jigen to share another cigarette with him as they wait.

“James Anders.” She finally speaks, eyes still closed. “The man who attacked you, his name is James Anders. He is… _was_ one of us.”

“But…?” Lupin prods her softly when she doesn’t continue for a moment.

“But he betrayed us and stole the Wolf’s Eye. That’s how the humans found it to begin with: he dropped it while we were chasing him.”

“And now he wants it back.”

“Yes, if the way he came after you is any indication.” Rajata finally opens her eyes, and her normal impassive expression is back in place. “Which is another reason we need to get moving.”

She moves around to the side of the second car, and pulls open the door to reach into the backseat. After a few seconds she straightens again and tosses two backpacks to them. “Basics you might need; it’ll be a bit of a hike.”

It isn’t until they’re leaving the clearing behind, starting up a nearly invisible path, that Lupin speaks again. “And what was he to you, specifically?”

For a minute it doesn’t seem like Rajata will answer, and Lupin seems ready to accept that when she abruptly speaks in a quiet voice, without stopping or turning to look at them.

“A friend."

* * *

The terrain gets more uneven as they progress, steadily climbing with every step closer to the foot of the mountain. Lupin delights in teasing Jigen for every grumble and gripe about the forest, which in turn only fuels his disdain, leading to a few headlocks and angry swipes that have to be stopped cold by a look from Rajata.

As the sun sets and night closes in, the group gets a sobering surprise when they realize Lupin is the only one needing to grab a flashlight. Jigen’s night vision has already gotten almost as good as Rajata’s. He tries to ignore it and hangs back with Lupin, as though he needs to share the light of the flashlight, but the way he moves much easier makes it clear he’s just trying to make the others (and himself) feel less worried.

The moonlight through the trees is just another reminder: twenty-four hours left.

It's nearly midnight when they consider taking a short break, stopping near the top of a cliff face that cuts down to a creek below.

“Oof, I love a good moonlit stroll, but this is a bit much.” Lupin makes a show of dropping to sit on a fallen log. “How much farther have we got to go?”

“We should make it by mid-morning, I think,” Rajata replies without looking at him, still surveying their surroundings with bright yellow eyes.

Lupin nods and leans towards where Jigen has sat down beside him, batting his eyes for a smoke.

“Why d’you keep mooching off me, did you not bring your own?” The gunman grumbles even as he relents to Lupin’s request.

“I ran out.”

Jigen accepts this answer with a snort, and they relax for maybe two minutes until Rajata suddenly goes rigid. A moment later, they realize why.

A wolf is howling.

“Nico…?” Rajata murmurs, eyes narrowing as Lupin and Jigen both get up to approach.

“Should we be worried?”

“Maybe. We--”

She’s cut off by the crack of gunfire, having made the mistake of turning to address Lupin to his face. A bullet tears through her lower leg and she collapses with a cry, but manages to roll behind a stone for cover as the two criminals dive to do the same, their guns drawn.

Anders seems more inclined to stick to cover this time, instead of charging head-on like yesterday. Bullets fly from both sides, sending splinters of wood and rock flying past, and Lupin feels like his heart stops for a second when he turns to Jigen only to see him peering ahead with eyes just as golden as Rajata’s, fixated on the battle in front of him.

But before he can speak, Anders snarls and seems to lose patience, causing Rajata to curse under her breath. “He’s shifting, get back!”

The memory of the shape growling in the smoke last night comes back to them both, and they move to do as they’re told. Just in time, too, as something huge lands where they had just been crouching.

It’s quite a sight. Even with the shadows of the trees obscuring some of their vision, there’s clearly more wolf than man staring them down, all fur and teeth and claws and glaring yellow eyes, fixed on Lupin as though he can smell the Wolf’s Eye on him. Hell, maybe he can.

Two shots ring out, two bullets from Jigen’s revolver slam into Anders’ chest, but while the beast stumbles and snarls in pain, an instant later he’s leaping forward, jaws open. Lupin thinks of the mark on Jigen’s arm, and almost wonders if it’ll be a relief to be suffering with him instead of watching him helplessly. Assuming Anders doesn’t just take his head off, of course.

Then something hits his side, and the next second he’s hitting the ground with Jigen on top of him and Anders sailing over them, the beast struggling to stop his momentum when he lands on empty ground.

Lupin has no time for thanks; he hears the small clink of something hitting stone, and he has a horrible feeling he knows what it is.

The Wolf’s Eye is rolling from where it fell out of Lupin’s jacket, and it only takes a moment for everyone present to spot it with varying degrees of panic. Rajata immediately starts laying down covering fire to stall Anders, who looks about as excited as a terrible wolf-man can, while Jigen mirrors Lupin’s panic before they both scramble to chase the rolling gem.

They stumble on the uneven ground, and Jigen has to stop and fire and Anders as well just to keep him back, leaving Lupin to half-crawl, half-run after the Eye with a chant of “Shit! Shit! Shit!”

He lunges, and his fingers close around the stone, but before he can get out so much as a whoop of triumph, a huge, clawed hand hits the back of his leg, wrenching him forward to what he suddenly realizes is the cliff’s edge--in the darkness and panic, he hadn’t noticed it getting so close.

The Eye flies out of his hand, and Lupin barely has time to register someone scream his name before he follows the gem down over the edge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cazzo - basically the Italian equivalent of the F-bomb.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things go from bad, to slightly better, to even worse. Lupin and Jigen fret about each other some more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof. I think I may need to lie down after writing this one.
> 
> It feels a little short to me, but I'm finding I'm a terrible judge of these things, so to hell with it. I'm hoping to actually wrap this story up by Halloween, but my work schedule is getting slowly busier and busier, so... We'll just have to see what happens. 
> 
> Platonic smooches to every single hit, kudos, and comment left so far! It warms my little heart to bring feels to people.

“Lupin!!”

The thief can only mutter curses under his breath as he watches the Eye disappear below him into the darkness, wincing against the sudden pain in his shoulder from stopping his decent so quickly. For the millionth time, he thanks his lucky stars for the grappling hook installed in his watch, as well as for the conveniently placed tree root he managed to shoot it to as he fell by.

He looks up again just in time to see Jigen’s head appear over the edge, and even from here he can see his partner’s panicked expression turn to relief at the sight of him dangling there, perfectly intact.

“I’m okay!” he calls up anyway. “I’m gonna lower myself down the rest of the way and look for the Eye!”

“All right, we’ll look for another way down and catch up!”

Lupin gives a thumbs up and reaches for his watch to start descending, when Rajata takes Jigen’s place at the edge. “Be careful! Anders took off as soon as you fell, so he’s probably looking for a way down there too!”

"Don't worry," Lupin flashes her a smirk, regardless of whether or not she can actually see it. "He won't take me by surprise again!"

She nods before disappearing back over the edge, leaving Lupin to lower himself towards the creek bed.

It’s strange, but he somehow feels a bit better now. It seems like a horrible thing to say, considering how they can’t afford a setback like this one, but… This is a problem he can think his way around; something he can apply his fantastic mind to and solve. Yeah, he can go down into a little valley and find a missing gem. It’s better than only being able to trust the word of people he barely knows, following them blindly to who-knows-where and just _hoping_ they can save his partner from the unnatural affliction he’s suffering from.

He almost feels...helpless. And Lupin III does not _do_ helpless.

He can’t even begin to count the number of times he and Jigen have saved each other’s lives in the years they’ve worked together; and every time they’ve been able to laugh it off afterwards with _maybe_ a moment of heartfelt gratitude if the situation was especially dire. From gravity to gunshots and everything in between, they’ve run through the metaphorical (and literal) fire over and over, and still come out okay on the other side. Both of them. Together.

Lupin pauses a moment, gazing at his rippling reflection in the creek before him. Is it really so important that he directly have a hand in saving Jigen this time? It’s not like he’s such an egomaniac that he can’t accept help from others; hell knows he has to rely on more than just his own skills all the time.

But… But this…

_A crooked grin and the flash of dark eyes from under the brim of a hat. The slouching curve of a silhouette leaned against a window, smoke drifting from the cigarette held in dexterous fingers. Fury and metal; a sentinel silently listening; a sarcastic remark from the shadow at his side. _

Lupin blinks as an owl flies overhead, snapping him into the present. The wave of possessive feelings have tangled themselves up into a knot in his chest, but he can at least see them for what they are now. He’s always had the need to be needed, he knows this, and this is just… a much stronger version of that.

Because it’s Jigen. Because if he lost everything and everyone else in his life, the one piece he couldn’t lose is...

Well. All the more reason to find the Eye as quickly as he can.

Lupin easily strides from one chunk of flat shale rock to the next, eyes darting back and forth for any glint that might be the gem he’s after. Luckily, he has a small backup flashlight that he keeps in his jacket to help him, and though it isn’t as powerful as the one he’d been using while they walked, it does the job well enough.

Nothing on either side of the creek, nothing caught in the handful of bushes determined enough to grow through cracks in the stone. There are plenty of little crevices the Eye could have been caught in, but it seems more likely to have fallen in the water somewhere, so Lupin heaves a sigh and rolls up his sleeves to start looking. He can only hope to find it before needing to take his shoes off and go wading.

* * *

It’s hard to say just how much time has passed when a shadow falls over the kneeling Lupin, prompting the thief to look up with a characteristic smirk.

Anders has returned to his human shape, wearing that same unpleasantly excited smile as when he attacked Lupin in the alley--only this time he’s making no effort to hide the inhuman gold in his eyes. He waits for Lupin to stand, though his eyes dart to the thief’s closed fist as it slips into his pocket.

“So, you found it, master thief?”

“What, no ‘hi, how are you’ first?” Lupin tuts disapprovingly. “You’re all business, huh.”

“I’m a little antsy to get to the rest of my life, yeah,” Anders answers calmly, shrugging. “I’ve spent way too long in this damn forest.”

Lupin frowns a little, more out of confusion than any actual anger or distress. “So you just wanna leave? Then why bother with the Eye? Seems like a lot of extra trouble to go to.”

“You know how long I’ve been here?” Anders starts slowly advancing, but stops with a few paces still between Lupin and himself.

“I get the feeling you’re about to tell me.”

Lupin’s snark is ignored. “Ten years. They promise you can leave as soon as you’ve got control, get back to your life… but not me. I’m too _volatile," _ He pauses and rolls his eyes, but the genuine anger on his face reveals how serious this is to him. "So basically they assume I’m gonna start eating people as soon as I go anywhere.”

“So taking the Eye is just spite?” The thief raises an eyebrow. “Still don’t see why you wouldn’t just cut your losses and take off, rather than risk being caught by coming back here.”

This actually makes Anders pause for a moment, watching Lupin like a cat with a cornered mouse. “That rock… can do things for people like me. I’ve seen it. I don’t know how it works, but once I get it outta here, I’ll have all the time in the world to figure it out.”

“Do...things?” Lupin questions, but he’s already shifting his posture, as the way Anders is advancing again makes it clear he’s done talking.

Lupin’s gun is whipped from its holster and gets a couple shots off before Anders lunges, knocking it from the thief’s hand and sending it clattering across the rocks. Lupin is quick though, and dances around his first few swings, one hand still in his pocket.

Soon however, a hit finally socks him across the chest, making him cough as he stumbles back. Before Anders can follow up, however, the hand in his pocket comes out and chucks something at his enemy. “You want the rock so bad? Take it!”

Anders is so startled, he catches the stone before realizing it’s just that: a stone. Lupin takes advantage of his split-second hesitation and whips another something out of the same pocket, hitting Anders across the face with it.

He _screams._

“Well well, looks like you _can_ rely on fairy tales for some things, after all.” Lupin twirls the silver pocket watch by its chain, unable to resist the one-liner even though Anders is clearly too busy suffering to actually listen.

“Lupin!”

The thief looks up, face breaking into a grin at the sight of Jigen and Rajata finally catching up, guns already drawn.

“Did you find it?” Rajata asks, eyes on Anders.

Lupin chuckles, reaching into the inner pocket of his jacket and producing the Wolf’s Eye. “Of course! No creek can outsmart Lupin III!”

He sees Rajata’s expression tense just in time to realize Anders has gotten ahold of himself, and with no time to slip the Eye safely back into his pocket, the thief makes a decision he will come to bitterly regret: he throws the gem to Jigen.

* * *

Several things happen in very quick succession. Lupin throws the Eye just as Anders tackles him to the ground, which in turn sends the silver watch flying from Lupin’s grip into the water, leaving him defenseless against the very angry wolf-man crouched on top of him. Rajata fires several shots, but Anders barely flinches in his blind fury, one hand wrapping around Lupin’s throat while the other rears back as if to punch him. Except instead of clenching into a fist, that hand starts sprouting hair and wicked claws before their eyes.

He’s going to tear Lupin apart; and if bullets aren’t stopping him, then…

_“Sa...wh….u...ve.” _

The voice is low and rumbling, barely on the edge of Jigen’s consciousness as time seems to slow down. The Eye in his hand feels hot, all sounds fading except the pounding of his own heartbeat in his ears. His gaze is fixed on the prone form of Lupin pinned under Anders, choking and unprepared for the claws moving in for the kill; to tear, to rip, to crush…

_Lupin. _

Bright eyes, an excited grin, brightly colored suit jackets flaring behind him as he runs. Offer after offer, until he forgets he was ever planning to leave. A stunning mind; a mystery wearing his heart on his sleeve.

_Lupin!_

An exchanged look, an outstretched hand. A warm body pressed against him; they’re both hesitant to call it a mistake. Curiosity, mischief, an exaggerated bow. That smile that says everything without a word.

**_LUPIN!!!_ **

The voice comes again, much clearer as it speaks in a language Jigen doesn’t recognize but can somehow understand. A yellow eye is fixed on him from the dark.

_“Save what you love.”_

He does.

* * *

The thief struggles and kicks at the hulking figure on top of him, but he can’t budge the fingers wrapped around his throat, cutting off his air. Claws dig into his neck, and that’s when he notices the other hand ready to strike.

It’s hardly the first time Lupin has stared death in the face, but moments like this still spark the tiniest flicker of fear in his heart. He can’t break free. He can’t breathe. His mind is whirring away, but coming up empty, and the claws are rushing towards him now. He can’t, he can’t…

Something slams into Anders with the force of a speeding train, wrenching his hand off Lupin’s neck and leaving four thin scratches behind as the man is hurled into the wall of the valley so hard the stone cracks. Lupin can hear Anders whimper like a wounded dog, and a second voice growling in a low, inhuman tone.

He rolls over, coughing, and pales as he spots Rajata staring at the scene in utter shock--as he realizes it isn’t her defending him. It isn’t her standing hunched over in front of the thief, glowing yellow eyes locked on Anders in animalistic fury. It isn’t her with claws out, fangs bared, ears tapered to a point.

Lupin feels his blood turn to ice as he takes in who _is_ standing there, and his voice fails him several times before he manages to choke out a single word.

“Jigen?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure everything's fine.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Calming friends, calming enemies, and wondering what the hell is happening are at the front of everyone's minds. A plan has to be made, and quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the third act, everybody! There's lots more talking here, because boy do I love me some dialogue, but there will be more action and fEeLiNgS soon enough, I promise. 
> 
> My work schedule is pretty full for the next couple weeks, but I'm still hoping to finish this piece soon-ish. Only two or three more chapters to go, methinks, unless I decide to write the alternate ending that keeps tickling the back of my mind. We'll see.
> 
> I'm so grateful this thing has almost made 200 hits, and all the kudos and comments really do make me all warm and fuzzy inside. Much love, guys. Much love.

It isn’t exactly unusual for Jigen to lose his temper. He and Lupin will snap at each other all the time, over all sorts of things, sometimes boiling over into proper heated fights. When they’re in a tight situation and their lives are at risk, some of the hardened killer for-hire he used to be will emerge to turn their enemies into corpses.

But even in his worst moments, there’s always cold steel among the flames of anger; something keeping him at least somewhat level-headed.

Not like this. Not like this inhuman frenzy of rage taking the shape of Lupin’s partner.

This isn’t right. This isn’t…

“Lupin!”

The thief is jolted out of his horrified stupor by a hand shaking his shoulder, and he suddenly finds Rajata crouched next to him looking more worried than he’s ever seen her. “Lupin, keep yourself together! You might be the only one who can bring him back from this!”

He follows her gaze downstream, where Jigen has Anders pinned at the water’s edge, trying to tear him apart with claws and teeth.

“What do you mean?” Lupin frowns, but he’s already getting back to his feet with a determined look in his eye.

“Even a blind man could see how close you two are,” Rajata explains. “And that bond might be enough to pull him back from… whatever this is.”

Lupin doesn’t voice his concern that even she doesn’t know what’s going on; there’s no time. He just nods and starts striding forward, his paces even and cautious as he approaches the fight.

Anders spots him first, managing to scramble to his feet after kicking Jigen back. Between the blood and the burn from the silver, it’s hard to gauge his expression, but he almost looks afraid--Lupin thinks to himself it’s a good look on the bastard. If Jigen notices Lupin, he doesn’t show it.

Before his partner can make another attack, Lupin moves to stand between him and Anders, positioned so he has both of them in his peripheral vision.

“Jigen,” he says slowly, searching for any sign of recognition on the gunman’s face. He finds none. “Hey, look at me.”

Lupin turns to face him, and Anders takes advantage of the momentary distraction to bolt in the opposite direction, seemingly uninterested in continuing this fight. In his feral state, Jigen doesn’t take kindly to this.

Snarling, he starts to dart forward in pursuit, only to have a pair of gangly arms thrown around his waist and suddenly all of Lupin’s weight dragging him backwards. One “oh no you don’t” and a startled growl later, they both collapse in a heap of limbs and confusion, thrashing against each other as Lupin clings like a particularly stubborn barnacle.

“The Eye!” Rajata runs over, gun still pointed down the valley where Anders disappeared, just in case. “Get the Eye away from him!”

Luckily, sleight-of-hand is a specialty of any self-respecting master thief, and it only takes a little squirming for Lupin to free the gem from his partner's grip. He nearly drops it in surprise as soon as he does: the stone is hot to the touch, almost too hot to hold onto.

Still, he manages to pocket it as he slowly releases Jigen, who has finally stopped struggling. That feral look is still on his face though, albeit a little less berserk, and his eyes are still yellow as he stares into empty space--as though he’s seeing something that isn’t there.

“Hey,” Lupin swallows his feeling of dread and moves to crouch in front of Jigen. “Hey, it’s me. It’s Lupin. Can you hear me?”

No response.

“Jigen. Hey, c’mon.” He speaks more forcefully this time, though still keeping his voice low, as though he’s comforting a frightened animal. Because frankly, that’s basically what he’s doing.

Lupin leans in to grab Jigen’s shoulder with one hand and push the gunman’s hat back a little with the other, to get a more direct line of eye contact. Jigen flinches, but his gaze finally focuses, and those gold eyes are now looking at Lupin’s face, confused and searching. Like he _wants_ to remember, like he’s _trying._

“I’m okay. _We’re_ okay. You can come back now.” They’re only inches apart now, as Lupin says whatever words he can think of that might help. “...Come back to me, okay?”

The bestial light in Jigen’s eyes flickers and goes out. Recognition appears in his gaze, and shaky hands reach up to grip Lupin’s lapels.

“...Lupin,” he breathes. “How… how’d I do all that?”

The thief is so glad to hear his name on his partner’s lips again he nearly hugs him, but catches himself and instead places both hands on Jigen’s shoulders, steadying him. “I’ve got no clue, but damn if I’m not kinda glad you did. You saved my ass,” he laughs shakily.

Jigen closes his eyes and gingerly touches the side of his head, like he’s got a headache. “Who… else was here? Who was talkin’ to me?”

“Uh…” Lupin looks up to exchange a confused look with Rajata as she gives him back his gun. “You mean Anders? I was the only one talking to you, though.”

“No, before that. Someone else was…”

“No one else was here,” Rajata says, her expression grim. “You… The Eye did something to you.”

Jigen says nothing, but he looks undeniably confused and worried as he pulls his hat back down over his eyes and lets Lupin help him to his feet.

“So the Eye did that?” Lupin asks.

Rajata opens her mouth to answer, but another voice rings out from downstream and grabs the group’s attention with a start.

“LUPIN!”

Scratched and dirty, breathing heavily, none other than Zenigata is storming up the valley. “There you are, Lupin! Escaping on foot like this, you threw me for a loop there! But it’s all over now!”

Usually, Lupin will react to these situations in one of two ways: shock, or smugness. Zenigata is admittedly a fan of the first, as it means he’s caught up when the thief assumed he’d been left in the dust, which gives him more of an edge. But there’s no sign of surprise on Lupin’s face as he turns to face the inspector, nor his usual cocky grin.

He looks… cold. Almost _angry._

Zenigata stops in his tracks as Lupin raises his pistol and points it right between the inspector’s eyes.

“I can’t deal with you today, Pops. What we’re doing is too important.” Lupin’s voice is steady and even, with no trace of amusement of mischief like usual. “Turn around, and go back.”

Rajata darts forward as Jigen stumbles, leaning against her like he can’t stand on his own.

“What’re you trying to pull, Lupin?” Zenigata frowns suspiciously. “You know I’m not gonna quit just because you say--”

He’s cut off by a metallic click as Lupin cocks his gun. “I’m serious, Pops. I can’t let you get in the way this time. Go back.”

Zenigata finally seems to notice Rajata and Jigen, and a hint of realization crosses his face. “...What’s the matter with him?”

Lupin pauses for only a second. “He’s sick, and we’re running out of time to get him help before it’s too late.”

“There’s plenty of hospitals we can take him to once you’re in custody--”

“No.” Lupin looks tired, some of the severity finally falling from his expression, though his gun doesn’t move an inch. “Coming out here is the only way to fix this. I can’t risk losing him, Pops. I _won’t.”_

The thief and the inspector stare each other down for what feels like an eternity. Zenigata has been tricked by Lupin more times than he’d care to count, but something about this feels… genuine. He hates to admit it, but it _does_ certainly look like something is wrong with Jigen, judging by how he barely seems to be aware of what’s going on in front of him when he’s usually the first one to pull a gun on the inspector.

Not many things could cause Lupin to act so serious, but having his partner in danger is definitely one of them.

“What could be out here to help him that doctors can’t do?” Zenigata asks begrudgingly.

Lupin finally chuckles, though there’s no humor in it. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, Pops.”

Zenigata grumbles in annoyance, and Lupin sighs. “Look, I’ll tell you what. Y’know where that tree came down when you were chasing us?”

A grunt of affirmation.

“I promise you here and now, on my name, when we finish what we came here to do, we’ll go through there when we leave. You can set up any checkpoint, blockade, or whatever-the-hell else you can think of, and we’ll show up. A good ol’ confrontation. But you can’t delay us now.”

Both Zenigata and Rajata look startled by the thief’s offer, but Lupin’s expression is more honest than the inspector’s seen in years, and part of him can’t help but believe it.

“And you expect me to just take your word for it?” Zenigata growls, though he seems to be relenting.

Lupin shrugs. “I really don’t wanna kill you, Pops, but I need you outta my hair for right now. That’s my offer, take it or leave it… And I really suggest you take it.”

Zenigata’s scrutinizing gaze goes from Lupin, to Jigen, to Rajata, and back to Lupin again. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

“Dammit… Fine. Fine!” He looks up and points accusingly at the thief. “But you better not be pulling the wool over my eyes, Lupin!”

Lupin visibly relaxes and finally lowers his gun, giving Zenigata such a genuine smile that the inspector is taken aback. “It’s a deal, then. ...Thank you, Pops. Really.”

Before Zenigata can respond, something strikes him in the back of the head, and he slumps over into the arms of the person standing behind him, unconscious.

“Isn’t he… the policeman from the museum?” Nico leans around the limp form of the inspector to peer at his face. “He chased you this far?”

“Yeah, he’s real persistent,” Lupin chuckles, putting his pistol away.

Rajata seems less relaxed about Nico’s sudden reappearance. “Where have you been?! You were supposed to be dealing with Anders, what--”

She cuts herself off as Nico lays Zenigata down, revealing nearly half his shirt is torn up and soaked in blood, with bandages hastily wrapped around his torso.

“...Anders is quicker than I expected,” he mutters sheepishly. “I tried to warn you he was coming…”

Lupin recalls the howling they’d heard before Anders first attacked, as Rajata nods.

“All right,” she sighs. “So, the situation has gotten… more complicated.”

* * *

They give Nico a quick run-down of what happened with Jigen and Anders, to which the sniper seems just as astonished as Rajata had been.

“But… since when can the Eye activate for someone who hasn’t fully turned?” He looks at Jigen in confusion, as though the answer will just appear if he looks hard enough.

Rajata takes a deep breath. “I don’t know. I’ve never heard of this happening before.”

Lupin has taken over steadying Jigen, who still seems barely lucid and feverish, though he will occasionally mutter to Lupin questions about what’s being discussed. They’re trying to work out a plan of action, balancing the addition of Nico to the team against Jigen’s new fragile state. They concluded that Zenigata would be safe enough propped against the most comfortable plant life they could find until he wakes up, since Anders will have no interest in him, and they left him behind with a note scratched onto a rock nearby reading “sorry about the headache.”

Nico has already told them about the place he came down the cliffs farther downstream, as the spot Rajata and Jigen had used before is too steep a climb to get back up safely, and they’re slowly making their way there as Nico and Rajata continue talking about how to best reach their destination.

“We could move faster together,” Rajata says slowly, “But we don’t know just how much things have changed. We may not be able to wait to get there for a second opinion.”

She stops, looking from Nico to Lupin. “Nico, moving alone, you would be the fastest of all of us. If you could get home and tell Alpha what’s happened, maybe she could send others out to meet us halfway.”

“Couldn’t we send signals?”

“Anders knows all the signals,” she sighs. “I don’t know if he’s still pursuing us, or if he’s cut and run, but we can’t risk an ambush now.”

“If I stay with you, we’d be better prepared…” Nico objects.

“Maybe, but we don’t know what’s going on anymore.” It seems difficult for Rajata to say, as if she hates not being in control. Lupin knows the feeling. “We don’t even know if we’re working with the same time limit as before.”

“You really think Alpha will know how to help?” Lupin speaks up, startling both werewolves.

They pause, look at each other, and nod.

“Then I say let’s go with Rajata’s plan.” The thief silences any argument by holding up his free hand. “She’s right, we have to know what’s going on as quick as possible. I can worry about helping Jigen walk.”

His words and the determination in his eyes seems to be enough for Nico, and the young man sighs before giving Rajata one last look and sprinting on ahead. He seems to change shape as he disappears from sight, speed increasing as he starts running on four legs instead of two.

They can only hope it’s fast enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally considered having Zenigata actually join the party here, but I couldn't rationalize the werewolves allowing ANOTHER human--and a policeman, at that--anywhere near their super-secret home.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang has werewolf storytime, but Jigen is in no condition to enjoy it. Time is running out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two more chapters to go after this one, I think! Though I'm already considering doing a second fic more focused on feels that takes place in the same continuity as this... But one thing at a time.
> 
> Guys this has almost 250 hits what the heck. You're all so great, I love to think that someone gets enjoyment out of this piece.

Willpower and worry are the primary forces fueling Lupin at this point. He hasn't slept in just over two days, and the chance to eat while they rested had been lost when Anders attacked, so all that's in his stomach is a couple granola bars. He's running on fumes, but he'll be damned if he's gonna let that stop him.

When the thief trips and nearly falls on his face for the dozenth time, however, Rajata takes notice of his shaky condition.

"Lupin, sit down. We're taking a break."

"What?! We don't have time for that!" He glances at Jigen, who he's still half-carrying. "I'm fine to keep going!"

To his surprise, Jigen is the first one to scoff at his words. "Lupin… I can feel you shaking. Last thing we need is you ending up as pathetic as me."

He's still feverish and unable to stand on his own, but the look he gives Lupin leaves no room for argument. It's a very familiar look: the take-care-of-yourself-you-dumbass look, one that Jigen often has to use when Lupin gets too wrapped up in planning heists. Seeing it come from his partner in this state twists the knife in the thief's heart, and he sighs in defeat.

Ten minutes later, they're seated on mostly-cleared ground, each of them with their backs against a different tree. Lupin and Rajata are both munching sandwiches that the werewolf had produced from an insulated bag in her pack, but Jigen only managed to drink some water before promptly falling into a fitful sleep. Every time he twitches, as though dreaming, Lupin looks over anxiously, and within a matter of minutes Rajata has had enough of his half-smothered panic.

“Lupin,” she says flatly, making the thief jump. “I’ve...been wondering something.”

“Is it about my dashing good looks and devastating charm?”

“No.” Rajata doesn’t hesitate for an instant. She grimaces afterward, though, and seems reluctant to ask, as though the subject is distasteful to her. “I hate this sort of gossip, but are you…?”

When she hesitantly points from Lupin to Jigen, the thief blinks. After a few seconds, realization finally hits and he nearly jumps out of his skin, clapping one hand over his mouth to keep from yelling and possibly waking Jigen.

“We… No! We’re just partners! Er, in crime, I mean, not romantic partners!”

“It was just a question, calm down.” Rajata raises an eyebrow, but otherwise her expression gives nothing away of what she might really think. “I’m just trying to think of why the Eye might have reacted for him the way it did.”

Lupin cocks his head to one side. “And us being together would explain it?”

“Maybe. The story of the Eye has a lot to do with love and loyalty, and Alpha always says those traits are still… _important_ to it, somehow.”

“What _is_ the story, anyway? Everything I found when I was looking into it was kinda in pieces that didn’t quite agree with each other.” Lupin gestures with his sandwich, scowling as he recalls past annoyances.

“I’m not much of a storyteller.”

“Tell me anyway,” the thief flashes a winning smile, and after studying his face for a moment, Rajata sighs.

“Basically, it says that a wolf came down from the mountains long ago, and fell in love with a human woman. He was so in love, that he cast off his pelt and became a man so he could be with her. She loved him in return, but the king of the land also knew of her, and wanted her to be his mistress. He sent soldiers to take her, and when she fought back, they hurt her; but the moon was full and the light let the wolf find them as they tried to drag her away.

In his anger, he tore his pelt and became the first werewolf, taking on a half-man, half-wolf form to save his beloved. He killed the soldiers, but seeing her afraid of the form he had taken, he fled in shame into the forest, no longer able to become a wolf again due to damaging his pelt.

But… in the light of day, the woman realized she still loved him--that she was more afraid _for_ him than_ of_ him. So despite her injuries, she went into the forest after him, and searched until she collapsed. He found her, and not knowing how to save her, wrapped her in his ruined pelt to keep her warm, and somehow… her loyalty and his love bound them together, and she turned into the world’s second werewolf.”

Rajata starts, seeming to be alarmed by how seriously she was speaking, and she shrugs dismissively to hide any embarrassment. “There’s more to it, but eventually one of the wolf’s eyes became… well, the Wolf’s Eye, and it still responds to what it feels are… kindred spirits, so to speak.”

“To love and loyalty.” Lupin leans his chin in his free hand, his gaze thoughtful.

Rajata nods. “So I wondered if, because you were in danger, his feelings might have caused the Eye to react.”

“Well, the loyalty part’s definitely right.” Lupin smiles a little as various memories dance across his mind. “But love? I…” When he can’t find any words, he tries to laugh it off, but he’s sure Rajata notices his hesitation.

“It’s just a theory, anyway.” She doesn’t pry, instead turning back to her food. “What is or isn’t between you is none of my business.”

Lupin nods slowly, but says nothing. Now he’s second-guessing himself, analyzing every memory for clues; reading into every touch, every word, every reaction. He’s always been good at reading people, even Jigen, but somehow this is something he’s never looked for. And why would he?

Just because they’ve lived and worked together for years, sharing everything from blankets to secrets. Because they’ve saved each other’s lives, helped soothe injuries both physical and mental, and kept each other company when no one else would. Because of glances in the dark, fantasies that only take a little alcohol to bring to mind…

...Oh. Well shit.

But just because _he_ may have feelings he’s not quite ready to name yet, doesn’t automatically mean it goes both ways. Rajata suggested Jigen might have… certain emotions towards Lupin, but she could be wrong--she basically said as much herself. And none of these completely hypothetical feelings will matter if they don’t get Jigen cured in time, so why is he even worrying in the first place?

His mind is frustratingly quick in offering an answer. _Because what happens after?_

* * *

The first indication Lupin has that he’s falling asleep is waking up to see the late-morning sun shining through the trees.

He flounders as he sits up and his head whips around, but nothing else has changed: Rajata is still sitting nearby, and Jigen is asleep.

“It’s been less than two hours,” Rajata answers the question he isn’t quite awake enough to ask. “We’ll get moving again soon.”

Lupin nods and drags himself to his feet, stretching. He’s stiff and sore in a few places from sleeping in less than ideal conditions, but overall he has to admit he feels better. Less likely to stumble and fall, at any rate, which is the most important thing if he’s going to continue being Jigen’s crutch. Which he absolutely is.

Speaking of which… While Rajata starts packing up the few things she had taken out of her pack earlier, Lupin crosses to Jigen and crouches in front of him, hesitating for a moment before he reaches out and gently shakes his partner’s shoulder.

“Hey, nap time’s over. Time to--”

His voice catches in his throat as Jigen lifts his head, and a pair of glowing gold eyes are looking back at him. The light goes out a second later, and once again it’s just Jigen, frowning at the stunned look on Lupin’s face.

“Why you lookin’ at me like that?” He mutters sleepily, shaking his head as though it’ll clear some of the tired fog from his mind.

Lupin is quick with an excuse. “Ah, you’re just cute when you’re groggy, that’s all.”

Fortunately, Jigen is in no condition to notice the strain in his smile, and just grumbles in annoyance as he tries to swat the thief away. Lupin rolls back on his heels before pushing to his feet, giving his partner a little space to pull himself together as the thief turns to see Rajata watching them.

It’s hard to say if she noticed something wrong when Jigen first woke up, or if she’s still trying to work out what exactly the complex relationship between her two companions is; her expression is unreadable. She meets Lupin’s eyes and jerks her head in a gesture to get going, before turning and striding off to give the criminals a minute to gather themselves and follow.

“Hey…” Jigen finally speaks as Lupin helps him up. “I need… to ask you a shitty favor.”

“Well gee, you make it sound so appealing already.”

The stern look shot at him makes the thief’s smile falter.

“Look, I…” Hesitating to search for the right words, Jigen almost seems to change his mind about speaking, until he glances up again to see Lupin watching him patiently. He sighs. “It sounds corny as hell, but… if I do go crazy, don’t… Don’t try to stop ‘em from killing me.”

Lupin just gapes at him, aghast, until he feebly elbows the thief in the side.

"I'm serious. I know you, I know you'd get yourself killed trying to save me when I'm too far gone." Jigen is trying to keep his voice steady, but it's clearly taking a lot of his strength to talk even for this long.

"Don't think like that." Lupin insists, squeezing his partner's shoulder. "We're gonna get you back to normal. You'll be fine."

"But if it does happen…"

"It won't!" Lupin snaps at Jigen louder and more aggressively than he means to, but the gunman only sighs.

"Lupin, I… I'm seeing and hearing things that can't be real," Jigen admits quietly. "There's somebody calling me. You gotta admit, that's a bad sign."

The thief is silent, expression troubled as they start walking. The conversation seems to be over, until a minute later when Lupin speaks in a much softer voice than his usual bombastic attitude. "I can agree to that… on one condition."

The slight tilt of Jigen's head shows he's listening, and Lupin fixes him with a surprisingly serious look as he continues. "You gotta promise to fight this stupid curse as hard as you can. If it fails, at least I'll know you tried to stay…"

The thief cuts himself off and frowns at his own sentimentality, but Jigen nods, too tired to answer with words.

He's fighting, but it's getting harder and harder to tell himself the shadows aren't really morphing into wolves before his eyes; that he doesn't really hear the call of a stranger who feels like an old friend; that the _pain_ won't go away if he just lets go of this pitiful human shape.

Pain… It feels like every part of him is strained to the breaking point, and any moment he could crack and warp into what his body thinks it's supposed to be. What the yellow eye in the darkness tells him he's supposed to be.

He doesn't notice when his legs give way beneath him, as Lupin cries out and Rajata runs back to keep them both from falling. He can't hear them frantically calling him. Every ounce of strength he has left is focused on keeping that promise: struggling against the beast slowly dragging him closer.

* * *

It takes a few minutes for Lupin to pull himself together, finally giving up on getting Jigen to wake up and letting Rajata help carry him. Their pace had already been agonizingly slow, so this doesn't affect their speed much, but every minute that passes feels like time they can't afford to waste, and Lupin is getting so neurotic about it that it's a blessing when the sky becomes overcast and makes it harder to tell the time.

It's a difficult march, the terrain becoming even steeper as they push ahead through the trees, but neither of them even think about stopping again. They can't, not anymore.

Eventually, Lupin breaks the tense silence by telling stories about past heists, trying to keep some semblance of positivity for both Rajata and himself--and maybe because he hopes Jigen might stir to correct him on any exaggerations. He doesn't, but Lupin takes a small victory when he swears he hears Rajata give a small huff of laughter. Jigen won't believe it if… _when_ he wakes up.

"So Pops slaps cuffs on me, and starts dragging me along," Lupin gestures with his free hand as he talks. "And he's so busy going on and on about how I can't escape him, he didn't even notice when I slipped the cuffs and hooked them on one of the trashed cars!"

"You're kidding."

"Cross my heart, it really happened. So I go and grab Jigen, then we sneak off while Pops is still pulling on this wreck, talking to it like it's me!"

Rajata shakes her head. "And he _wasn't_ fired?"

"It wasn't his proudest moment, but Pops has gotten a lot craftier over the years," Lupin explains, some of his cheer falling away as he wonders how the chase can continue if he's alone.

Rajata seems to notice his faltering smile, and tries getting his mind back on the past. "So… then what? Did you go after Fujiko?"

“Ah… Yeah, I snuck into her car before she left, then--”

Lupin is cut off by the snapping of a twig nearby, the sound sending both him and Rajata into high-alert. The sound of rustling leaves follows, and finally footsteps, as Lupin pulls Jigen to the side while Rajata whips around to point a gun at whoever emerges from the trees.

It isn’t Anders. In fact, Rajata immediately puts away her gun and noticeably relaxes, waving a hand at Lupin to lower his guard, as a second stranger joins the first.

“It’s okay,” she says as she turns to give him a somewhat reassuring look. “They’re friends.”

The first stranger, a woman who looks like she could snap Lupin in half with her bare hands, steps forward and fixes them each in turn with a worried look that makes Lupin feel like the ground is giving way beneath him.

“Come on,” she rumbles. “We have to hurry. Alpha says… this is real bad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Casually referencing the first episode of the anime with Lupin's story there. Am I hip with the kids yet?


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It all comes down to this, as Jigen struggles with spiritual mumbo-jumbo in his head and Lupin comes to terms with his damn feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Penultimate chapter, oooooooo! So in order to fit the whole climax in here, it's a bit longer than usual, but since I usually keep chapters real short anyway, that isn't saying much. 
> 
> I said I was gonna finish this thing by Halloween, and I'm gonna do my damndest to keep that schedule!
> 
> Love you guys for continuing to read this piece, and I already have two separate ideas for fics to write next! Without giving myself a deadline this time, though, ahahaha.

A leaf falls to the water’s surface, and the wolf with dark fur stops drinking for a moment to look. When his gaze falls to the water again, a second reflection stands behind his own--but he isn’t afraid.

The gray wolf… he’s always been there, hasn’t he? It feels that way, so it must be true. They’re companions: the old wolf leads, and he follows. He doesn’t remember why, but he knows it’s important. So when the gray wolf turns from the water, he moves to follow… until the world around him seems to tremble.

Startled, the dark-furred wolf steps back, watching as his shadow stretches and distorts into something tall, something standing on two legs that tries to pull away from his feet and go back, back the way they came. But why? There’s nothing back there.

Then the trembling stops as suddenly as it started, and his shadow is a wolf again--the way it’s supposed to be. He looks up to see the gray wolf is waiting for him, a single yellow eye gazing at him calmly. The shadow is forgotten, and the darker wolf lopes after his elder, their footsteps barely making a sound as they leave the water behind in the moonlight. 

* * *

Lupin isn’t sure how long it takes them to make the last leg of their journey. After being seized by the very large woman, the landscape turned into a blur, and all he could do was cling for dear life and hope that in their haste, the werewolves now carrying them wouldn’t steer them into a tree. The blinding sprint seems to last an eternity and pass by in an instant at the same time, and next thing he knows, the thief is being set back on his unsteady feet.

Now he’s able to take in his surroundings, realizing they’re standing in front of a small cabin; one of roughly a dozen he can see clustered around. Well-worn paths connect them all, and Lupin can see a few faces peering out of windows, watching the human visitors with wide eyes. Most of the buildings have signs in a number of languages; the one they’re standing in front of reads ‘Doctor.’ It fills the thief with hope and dread in equal measure.

He looks up to see a woman who looks to be in her late sixties standing in the doorway, and before she even speaks, Lupin can tell who she is by her air of authority and poise.

“Come inside, quickly,” Alpha says, stepping aside to let the group file past. “Lupin, you have the Eye?”

He hesitates on the threshold, as flashes of what happened the last time he let someone else touch the gem flicker in his head. Alpha seems to notice his worry, and her expression softens as she places a hand on his shoulder, looking him in the eye.

“Don’t worry, I’ve handled the Wolf’s Eye many times. It won’t hurt me, or worsen your partner’s condition any further.”

Lupin is taken aback by how easily she was able to read him, and his shoulders slump slightly. He hates this. He hates being such a helpless mess, lost and out of his element when Jigen _needs_ him, but now all he can do is follow instructions and hope.

He nods, pulls the golden gem from his jacket pocket, and places it in Alpha’s hand. She gives his shoulder a gentle squeeze before turning and leading him into the small clinic, where the others are already laying Jigen down on one of the beds.

Alpha stands over him, pushing back hat and hair to touch his forehead, her expression turning grim as she does so. “You’ve really taken a liking to this one, haven’t you,” she mutters, and after a moment Lupin realizes she’s talking to the Eye. “He doesn’t need your help now, go back to sleep.”

Lupin feels his blood run cold as the ‘pupil’ of the Eye actually _turns_ to look at Jigen, rolling in Alpha’s unmoving hand as if it’s alive.

“What the fuck…” he breathes, and Rajata motions for him to be quiet, even though she looks just as startled and horrified as he does.

Alpha’s eyes narrow a split-second before she pulls her hand back, barely avoiding the snap of fangs as Jigen jerks awake with that feral look on his face again. “Hold him; this is going to be rough.”

Lupin’s eyes widen as Rajata and the other two werewolves move in to obey while Jigen thrashes against them, snarling and lashing out with teeth and claws, only to have his limbs caught and held still.

“Jigen! Knock it off, we’re trying to help you!” Lupin hates the desperation in his own voice, but he can’t afford to worry about it now.

“He can’t hear you.” Alpha tells him what he already knows, and motions for Lupin to approach the bed across from her. Following her unspoken instructions, the thief deftly catches Jigen’s hand and clings to it with his own, while his other hand reaches to hold down his frenzied partner’s shoulder.

“You don’t need to speak aloud,” Alpha’s voice is serious as she meets Lupin’s eye. “But call to him. You may be the best anchor to his humanity we have.”

He simply nods, and tries.

* * *

The wolf with dark fur stops in his tracks, posture tense and ears twitching here and there as he listens. There’s a sound on the wind, fading in and out from behind him: a voice?

It doesn’t sound like any bird or beast he knows, but it somehow sounds _familiar,_ like falling asleep in a comfortable den. The sort of familiar that makes him feel warm and relaxed. He knows this sound; he knows what makes it, but he just can’t remember...

A low bark from the gray wolf snaps the dark wolf back to himself, as he realizes he had turned and walked several paces back the way they came in his reverie. He shakes himself, turning back and padding to the one-eyed wolf’s side again, pushing what he can’t remember from his mind.

He doesn’t see his shadow twisting again behind him, but the old wolf does, and urges him forward with a nudge of his muzzle. The elder’s single gold eye watches his companion’s writhing shadow for a moment, then he turns away from it and continues walking on at the dark-furred wolf’s side.

He can still hear that sound…

* * *

Lupin doesn’t know how long he’s there; first standing, then sitting when someone pushes a chair behind him and gently pushes him down onto it. He doesn’t know how long he clutches his partner’s hand like he needs it to survive, ignoring the occasional nick of claws as Jigen continues to struggle. It’s like the thief is in a trance, as he calls out with every memory he can uncover. Reaching, reaching…

Someone shakes him, and the thief gasps as though he’s been underwater.

“Lupin.” It’s Rajata, studying him worriedly. “You look like you’re about to faint. Go get some fresh air for a minute.”

The thief bristles and shakes his head. Now that he’s once again aware of his surroundings, he can see darkness through the window: they’re almost out of time. “No, I’m not quitting yet.”

Before Rajata can argue, Alpha lifts her head and speaks. “At this point, there isn’t much more we can do. It’s up to him now… We’ve built him a way back, and he has to choose whether or not to take it.”

The Eye is still in her hand, but now its gaze is fixed on Lupin.

“I’m still gonna stay.”

“Lupin, you can’t.” Alpha sighs tiredly. “You can’t be in here with us when the moon rises. We all shift under the full moon, and it’s when we’re the most dangerous. Nico will take you to a cabin where you’ll be safe, and if Jigen comes back to himself, I’ll send him to you.”

The thief still doesn’t budge. “If it’s not safe for me, why would it be safe for him?”

“It isn’t, but I have enough control and authority to protect him.” She hesitates, her tone gaining a hint of sadness. “And if he does lose himself, it will be easier for us to… deal with if you aren’t here.”

The words hit Lupin like a punch to the gut, and his jaw clenches. He instinctively wants to lash out, to argue, but the agreement he made with Jigen is still in his mind, as well as the serious, almost pleading look his partner had given him.

_“Don’t try to stop ‘em from killing me.”_

The thief hangs his head and nods stiffly. He gets to his feet, but before he lets go of Jigen’s hand, he leans down and whispers something in his partner’s ear. Something he wishes he could have said before; something that took him way too long to admit to himself. Even if the words can’t reach him anymore, Lupin can’t let it go unsaid.

Nico is waiting outside when he staggers through the door. The young man is side-eyeing him nervously, but the thief just gives him a tired smile.

“So where is everybody? If you all turn under the full moon, doesn’t it cause a lotta property damage if you’re inside?” he asks nonchalantly, as if this is a perfectly normal topic of conversation.

Still watching him carefully, Nico starts leading Lupin along one of the footpaths away from the center of the settlement. “Those of us with control can stay. Those without already left for the mountain, where it’s safer for them to turn.”

The thief nods with an understanding hum, and even through the exhaustion and dread, he manages a smile.

They don’t talk much after that, as Nico seems to be getting increasingly uncomfortable in his own skin as the rising of the moon draws closer, and Lupin is lost in his thoughts. They’re so distracted, in fact, that they don’t notice something moving in the trees until it’s too late.

Nico is caught by the neck and hurled to the ground, yelping in alarm and pain. When Lupin whirls around, one hand on his gun and the other in his jacket pocket, he sees exactly what he expects: a familiar brutish figure glowering at him with bright yellow eyes.

“Y’know, I’m really not in the mood to be dealing with your ugly mug right now,” the thief remarks with a frustrated sigh. “You’re too late to get the Eye, and even if you did, it wouldn’t work for you anyway.”

That makes Anders pause, a little of his murderous glare falling away in confusion. “Wouldn’t work? How would you know?”

Lupin flashes a bitter, condescending smile. “I’ve seen it.”

“What, with your little friend?!” Now Anders is all anger again. “Are you saying he’s better than me, when he hasn’t even turned yet?”

“I _know_ he’s better than you.”

A savage, inhuman growl is the only response at first, but Anders seems to recover some semblance of humanity, and smiles that murderous smile. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t even care about the damn Eye anymore; I just wanna tear your throat out before I leave.”

He starts stalking forward, but Lupin only snorts. “That’s pretty stupid. You coulda been outta here by now, but no…” He backs up a few paces and glances at Nico, who is stumbling back to his feet. “Hey! Head back and tell the others about this, would ya?”

Nico gapes at him. “Are you insane?!”

“Probably,” Lupin shrugs as his back hits a tree, but his smirk doesn’t falter. “But I owe this guy some payback anyway, so go on!”

For a moment, it seems like Nico is going to argue, but instead he just shakes his head and curses under his breath in Italian, before sprinting back the way they came.

This makes Anders pause just long enough for Lupin to swing the silver watch out of his pocket, but the werewolf is ready this time. He snarls in pain as the silver touches his skin, but his forearm has blocked the attack that was meant for the unburned side of his face, letting him lunge with his other hand. Lupin ducks, and a few hairs from his head are all Anders’ claws catch before digging into the tree, as the thief pushes forward with all his strength to tackle the burly man’s middle.

He moves maybe an inch. Lupin has just enough time to make a face before Anders seizes the back of his collar and _flings_ him, his gun clattering from his hand as he sails through the air. The thief cries out as his legs hit another tree trunk and send him spinning around to hit the ground face-first, but there’s still fire in his eyes when he pushes himself up, rolling to the side as Anders attempts to stomp on him.

The werewolf tries to grab him, but only gets a handful of watch, making him recoil with a shout of pain as Lupin dodges back, putting some distance between them again. “Oh c’mon, are you sure you don’t want a scar to match on the other side?” The thief grins as he points to the part of his own face where Anders is burned. “You’d be more symmetrical that way!”

He expects a snarl of anger, or a blind charge with teeth and claws bared--but neither of those things happen. Anders is still, showing no reaction to the taunt as he simply stares at a sliver of the horizon visible through the trees. A moment later, Lupin turns and realizes why.

The full moon is rising. 

* * *

A breath of wind rustles the vegetation around them, making the dark-furred wolf look up and sniff at the air to catch scents from far away. There’s that familiar feeling again, like he’s being pulled back towards something he should remember, but can’t quite grasp. It feels… important, but so is the journey forward--he knows this.

The gray wolf huffs ahead of him, pawing at the narrow path of stone they’re following. He’s been guiding the darker wolf along this treacherous, winding bridge, always stopping him from slipping and falling into the pitch-black abyss below whenever he stumbles. But why are they pushing forward so obsessively?

The sounds and smells on the wind keep urging him to go back, even though he’s _supposed_ to go forward. He keeps wanting to look back, like he can feel there’s something there, his pace along the path slowing as each step becomes more and more difficult. His tall shadow is pulling him.

The wolf is no longer moving, wobbling as his paws want to take him in opposite directions, his ears pinned back and tail lowered in distress. Everything… everything is wrong; why does it hurt? What does he do?

The wind is getting louder, and all of a sudden he can understand what it says.

A whisper of three words, and everything shatters.

The one-eyed wolf barks after the wolf with dark fur as he races away, sprinting with the wind as the shards of the world unravel behind him into moonlit nothingness. He pays no attention; all his thoughts are swept up in memory, and the old wolf is nowhere in his mind anymore.

He has to get back. He promised. He promised Lupin he would try; and goddammit, that’s a promise he has to keep.

He doesn’t notice the old gray wolf stop his chase and sit down, expression softening as he vanishes into the moonlight with the rest of the world.

* * *

Despite being present for a werewolf shifting twice now, Lupin hasn’t actually gotten a good look at the process before. He recalls Rajata telling him and Jigen that it’s a violent process back when they first met, and he almost laughs as he has to agree, watching bones rearrange themselves and flesh stretch in horrible contortion.

Fighting through the animalistic fear trying to grip his heart, the thief scrambles for his gun and does what he never sees anyone in monster movies do: shoot at the beast mid-transformation. Anders stumbles, but Lupin can already see the wounds starting to close up before they’re hidden by fur.

Oh well, it was worth a try.

Lupin clutches the silver pocket watch and slowly backs up as the newly-transformed wolfman shakes himself like a dog, as though settling into his skin, before his ears perk up and he tilts his head to listen to the sound of howling from the direction of the settlement. He bares his teeth and growls, but his attention is quickly on Lupin again.

The thief feels claws nick his coattails as he dives out of the way, and his heart sinks as he realizes just how much faster Anders is now. As if on cue, another clawed hand darts forward and closes around Lupin’s ankle. Next thing he knows, he’s hitting the ground, unable to cry out as the air is punched out of his lungs by the impact and the watch tumbles from his hand.

Anders is dragging him back. Lupin’s fingers stretch desperately, clawing at the watch’s chain and trying to pull it into his hand. Too slow, too slow.

He kicks at the arm holding him with his free leg, but he may as well be kicking a concrete wall. Too weak.

Too slow, too weak, no time…

** _BANG _ **

Lupin is unceremoniously dropped to the ground as Anders reels back with an inhuman scream, blood pouring from one eye. The thief looks up, and his heart nearly bursts out of his chest.

Awake, alive, and blessedly _human,_ Jigen keeps his revolver locked on Anders even as he strides over to Lupin, holding out his free hand to help the thief up. “How is it I was the one with a life-threatening curse, but you keep being the one to almost get killed?”

At first, all Lupin can do is laugh in relief. He’s grinning like an idiot, even as Jigen’s aim twitches ever-so-slightly and he fires again, hitting Anders in the other eye before the first one can finish healing.

Finally, the thief manages a snappy comeback, still grinning ear to ear. “You should know by now, I’ve got a talent for getting into trouble.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Jigen chuckles.

The sound of growling rumbles from behind them, and Jigen lowers his gun. Lupin doesn’t even need to ask why, as several other transformed werewolves come stalking around them with their eyes locked on Anders, and they slowly move to encircle him.

Another werewolf strides up to stand beside the two of them, and both the gray around her muzzle and the steadiness with which she carries herself clearly identify her as Alpha. She surveys the scene for a moment, then jerks her chin in a silent command, and the beasts descend on Anders in a murderous frenzy. He doesn’t stand a chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, should I go back and italicize the wolf fever dream sequences? I can't decide...
> 
> Also, I would say brownie points to whoever can guess what Lupin whispered, but it's probably kinda obvious at this point.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wrap-up, featuring lots of feelings and hints of things to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to wait until Halloween to post this, but I have no patience. OH WELL.
> 
> It's the end, everybody! It may be a bit short, but my goal was to have this feel more like one of the Lupin movies rather than a whole season of the show.
> 
> I have to thank you all so much for every bit of feedback and every hit this has gotten--it's really kept the writing itch alive! I've had a lot of trouble in the past with finishing pieces, but you guys have really made the difference, and I can't thank you enough.
> 
> I'll admit, I've already started planning out a sequel of sorts, focused on where relationships can go from here and even trying my hand at diving into the gang OT4. Not sure when that'll appear, but keep an eye out.
> 
> Lots of love,
> 
> \--Octo

They stand there in silence for a minute, until the screaming and snarling has died down, and the stench of gore fills the air. One of the beasts--probably Rajata--nips at the others if they try to consume any of their kill, presumably to discourage them from getting a taste for cannibalism. The sight really should disturb the humans more than it does.

Eventually, Alpha huffs beside them to get their attention. She raises one clawed hand and points to a cabin, visible some hundred yards away, giving the two humans a commanding look.

“Ah, we should… go hang out there?” Lupin questions, eyebrows raised.

Alpha nods and strides over to her pack, apparently satisfied, while Lupin and Jigen exchange a look and a shrug. Whatever that cabin is, at least it’s somewhere to be that isn’t so bloody. 

It turns out to be some kind of recreation space, with various couches, armchairs, and even a bean bag chair scattered around the main room--after the chaos of the last couple days, it looks like heaven. Jigen wastes no time in claiming one of the couches, and when he glances up, he sees Lupin draped face-first over the bean bag chair.

"Tired?"

Lupin only gives a muffled "mmph" in response.

Jigen scoffs fondly at him, but his amusement quickly dies as he continues watching the thief. He needs to say something. This conversation needs to happen, no matter how much he drags his feet.

Very, very hesitantly, he clears his throat. "Hey, Lupin…"

"Okay!" The thief doesn't seem to hear him as he abruptly leaps up from the bean bag chair, as if just lying there for a minute was enough to recharge him. "Let's see what's in here, shall we?"

Jigen sighs, but says nothing, watching Lupin scurry over to an old wooden storage chest against the wall. The thief never can resist a closed box. Maybe he should just get some sleep, let Lupin explore the cabin and worry about emotional turmoil in the morning.

However, no sooner does he close his eyes when something heavy and soft is suddenly dropped on him, making him jump and start to reach for his gun on instinct. It's a blanket, and Lupin is standing over him, looking very pleased with himself.

"Scoot over."

"There's other places to sit, y'know," Jigen grumbles, but even as he speaks he's dragging his legs in and turning to sit more like a normal person.

Lupin chooses to not grace that with a response, and simply drops onto the couch beside his partner, making the whole thing bounce.

It’s far from the first time they’ve slept next to each other, though admittedly it’s usually out of necessity rather than choice. Crammed into the backseat of the Fiat, elbowing each other on a twin mattress, or curling up with a single blanket on the coziest patch of floor they can find--they’ve long since gotten comfortable being in each other’s personal space. So what if they’re sitting a little closer together than they need to, shoulder-to-shoulder with their hands occasionally brushing against each other; they’re both asleep too quickly to worry about it anyway.

The criminals awaken to a shadow looming over them, shaking their shoulders. “Hey… Hey!” 

Rajata steps back and folds her arms across her chest as the duo blinks and looks around in groggy confusion. “We’ve kept this cabin off-limits so you could rest, but it’s past noon and some of the guys want to know when they can use the rec room.”

"Past noon?" Lupin repeats. "Oof, no wonder my back's so stiff."

For his part, Jigen is still incapable of forming words, simply grumbling in vague annoyance. Rajata does not accept this as an excuse.

"Up. Come on." She looks about ready to drag them off the couch by force, and Lupin takes the hint, jumping to his feet and tugging on Jigen's arm.

She follows them out the door and waves to a few younger people milling around the front of the cabin, and they offer cautious greetings to the two humans as they pass to head inside. Now that they can get a look at the inhabitants of the settlement, the diversity of nationalities is striking in both physical appearance and dress--even Rajata has changed from her outdoor gear into a dark red sari.

"How do people find this place from so far away?" Lupin asks as they walk. "This is kinda the middle of nowhere."

"Being in the middle of nowhere is the point; but we have ways of looking for cries for help, and we send people to answer them." Rajata shrugs and seems to leave it at that in favor of changing the subject. "More importantly… Lupin, what are you going to do about that policeman?"

"Policeman?" Jigen shoots a suspicious stare at his partner.

Lupin chuckles and scratches the back of his head. "Oh yeah, I may have promised Pops we'd leave by the same road we used before, so he can try to stop us. Heh."

"You _what?!"_

"We needed him to get out of our way! It was the first thing I could think of!" Lupin folds his arms across his chest defiantly. "It was right after your spat with Anders; don't you remember?"

Jigen hesitates. "I… kinda thought I hallucinated that."

"Nope!" Lupin pats him on the back jovially.

Rajata watches them with a look that could almost be called a smile, breaking through the exhaustion and lingering sadness hanging over her before she breaks up the impending argument with a wave of her hand, urging them onward. "We'll… discuss it. Come on."

* * *

The next few hours are spent on plans and thank you's that vary wildly in levels of awkwardness, as well as returning to the clinic to have the handful of bruises and scrapes Lupin got from Anders looked at, just in case. Jigen tries several more times to talk to Lupin, but every time they're interrupted, and he waves it off as unimportant. The thief doesn't pursue the subject.

After dinner around a number of outdoor picnic tables, during which Lupin regales the group with stories of wild adventure, a small party sets out toward the edge of the settlement. The humans are there, and the wolves they've come to know best: Alpha, Nico, and Rajata--as well as several of the stronger and faster members of the pack.

They pass the scene of Anders' demise, where a few people are turning over the bloodstained ground with shovels, and Lupin's gaze lingers there for just a moment, giving away nothing of his feelings. Rajata pointedly avoids looking at it.

"You're sure you don't want to wait until morning?" Alpha asks again, though her tone suggests she isn't going to make a fuss about whatever they choose. "We don't mind you staying one more night."

Lupin shakes his head with a smile. "Nah, I think we've kept Pops waiting long enough; don't want him losing his patience and sending cops into the woods to look for us." 

Alpha chuckles, watching the group make their final preparations for a moment, and when she looks up there is no sign of surprise on her face to see Jigen approaching alone.

Watching out of the corner of his eye, Lupin can't help but strain his ears to listen for any snippets of their conversation, especially when he notices a flash of gold in Alpha's hand. He would have thought Jigen would never want to see that gem again, but the gunman is gazing at the Wolf's Eye with something akin to fondness. 

"It shouldn't be difficult, just keep it in mind," he catches Alpha say. "It's benign."

Jigen nods, and as Lupin leans closer to try and make out what he says next in a low voice, the thief suddenly finds Rajata staring at him, frowning. That's the end of his eavesdropping. 

After that, it's just a matter of saying goodbye to Alpha, and with one last look back, they disappear into the woods.

* * *

Twenty-four hours later, a certain yellow Fiat pulls over at the side of the road, just a slope away from the police checkpoint set up right where Lupin suggested. A certain pair of lanky figures are gazing down through the windscreen, and in the driver's seat, Lupin grins.

"Just a little longer 'til showtime," he snickers gleefully. "This should be good."

For a while, Jigen doesn't respond. His eyes are hidden even from Lupin, but the thief can practically see the wheels turning in his partner's head, until eventually he can't take the silence anymore.

"Okay, what's up? I thought you'd be happy to be leaving."

Jigen lifts his head slightly, and regards Lupin for what feels like an eternity. When he finally does speak, the thief feels a knot of anxiety form in his stomach.

"...We should talk."

"Uh, yeah?" Lupin tries to laugh, but the tension is audible. "About what?"

"What you said that night."

Red alert. Emergency. Panic. "Which thing? I said a lot." The thief is trying to sound nonchalant, but he can hear the strain in his own voice.

"You know which one." One dark eye finally comes into view, staring at Lupin. 

"...Oh. That."

They're both silent for a moment, neither realizing that the other is going through the same internal meltdown. 

"So…" Jigen finally speaks, albeit slowly and hesitantly, like one wrong word might cause a bomb to go off. "I guess I gotta ask… Was that serious, or were you just trying to shock me awake?"

For a brief moment, Lupin considers taking the way out being dangled in front of him. Things could go back to normal, with no more talk of emotions; he wouldn't have to risk the possibility that these feelings are one-sided. But the impulse is gone a second later, and the thief squares his shoulders to brace himself. Let it never be said Lupin III is a coward.

"I was serious, yeah."

Jigen is staring ahead out the windscreen. "I see."

That's his response?! Lupin isn't sure whether to be heartbroken or insulted, or maybe both. Either way, it seems like it's time for damage control.

"Nothing has to happen, though. I'm a big kid, I can cope, and we don't have to be awkward about it."

Lupin is so busy reassuring Jigen he'll be fine with rejection, he doesn't notice the smile tugging at the corner of his partner's mouth.

"Let's just pretend it never happened, and we can--"

He doesn't notice, right up until he's yanked forward by his tie, and his words are snuffed out by that smile pressing against his own mouth.

The kiss lasts nowhere near long enough, but it's enough to render Lupin momentarily braindead as he gapes in shock. The look on his face makes Jigen snicker, which in turn snaps Lupin back from his out-of-body experience. The thief immediately leans forward to chase for another kiss, but…

There's a loud crash from the direction of the police checkpoint, followed by the sound of screaming, and Jigen motions towards it as he settles back into his seat.

"Whoops, looks like it's time." He looks entirely too pleased about this.

Lupin is… less enthusiastic. "Wha-- That's not fair!" His head whips from Jigen to the scene before them and back again. "That's not fair, you absolute bastard!"

"Better start driving, Lupin." 

The thief just glowers at him, unsure if he wants to punch that shit-eating grin or kiss it, or maybe both, but either way he's pissed off. He starts the car anyway, since their escape is on the line, but he does so with obvious protest in every movement.

It only takes a few seconds for him to get his revenge.

"You gonna make up for this interruption later?" The thief asks, and Jigen is not prepared for the look he receives when he glances up.

That look that's so filthy and suggestive, he nearly chokes. He'll never mock the girls who are so easily seduced by Lupin again; if this is the kind of look he gives them, then no wonder they wind up in the thief's bed.

Lupin's face splits into a positively wicked grin at having knocked his partner so off-balance, cackling as he makes it even worse with a waggle of his eyebrows.

"Fine, whatever!" Jigen is trying and failing to look truly annoyed. "Yes, okay? Now drive already!"

"I'm gonna hold you to that," Lupin lilts in a sing-song voice, and slams his foot on the accelerator.

* * *

Down at the checkpoint, all hell is breaking loose. Zenigata can hardly hear himself shouting orders over the sound of crash after thunderous crash, as trees fall into the road around him. It's as if the forest itself is attacking them, but the inspector knows better. He doesn't know how it's happening, with no signs of Goemon or the clean cuts of his sword on the trunks, but Lupin is surely behind it. 

Zenigata's eyes narrow; he stops in the road, no longer dodging the trees. His suspicion is quickly confirmed: the falling trees are intentionally missing every person there, which is one of the signs of Lupin's involvement he's most grateful for. But the shadowy figures he keeps glimpsing out of the corner of his eye are too large to be Lupin, which means…

A familiar sound breaks through the cacophony, and the inspector's head snaps around to see a little yellow Fiat come streaking down the road towards them.

"Lupin!"

"Hiya Pops!" The thief leans out the window to wave at him, that infuriating cocky grin firmly in place.

He isn't slowing down. Why isn't he slowing down? He'll slam into the barricade, or one of the police cars, or…

Realization hits Zenigata like a ton of bricks. Most of the fallen trees seem to have been knocked over almost at random, only avoiding ending any lives; but a few of them are pushed right up against each other in order of smallest to largest.

All he can do is curse as the Fiat speeds over the makeshift ramp and sails clean over every roadblock they had put in place. As they fly, Lupin and Zenigata lock eyes for a moment, and the thief flashes that bizarrely honest smile again while giving him a thumbs up.

Hmph, as if he can't tell everything turned out alright just by looking at Jigen in the passenger's seat. Still, he's a big enough person to admit to himself that he's at least a little relieved, as the terrible pain in Lupin's eyes the last time they met had been in the back of his mind ever since, and he may or may not return the thief's grin with the tiniest hint of a smile. 

But enough of that; he has a chase to continue.

* * *

The trees fly by in a blur, and beside him Lupin continues to laugh that exhilarating, delighted laugh that follows a clean getaway. If he looks closely, Jigen can just spot the shapes of the werewolves running along parallel to the road, following them to the edge of the pack's territory--both as additional backup in case Zenigata has any surprises waiting, and also just to say goodbye.

But his attention is drawn to another figure, sitting on top of a ridge: an old gray wolf with one yellow eye. He knows no one else can see the animal, just as he knows the meaning behind the wolf's steady gaze, and he answers with a tiny nod. 

If despair and desperation ever take over, and there seems to be no way to protect the ones that matter most…_ "Find me."_

Jigen blinks, and the apparition is gone.

  


Lupin slows the car a little and leans forward to peer at the edge of the forest, where several figures are emerging from the trees. Once again in human form, several of the werewolves wave at them, but Nico and Rajata seem content to just step forward a bit more and watch--and the thief lets out a tiny, excited gasp as he looks back. He elbows Jigen, but he already sees it too: the full, peaceful smile on Rajata's face.

Leaning out the window again, Lupin gives a huge wave, while his partner simply tips his hat to them, and the two groups watch each other until they're out of sight.

  


The sunset is casting long shadows across the road, but Lupin's smile shines through them as he settles in properly for the drive.

"So," he says, eyes flashing in excitement, "Where to next?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, I ended up quite liking Rajata. Maybe I'll find a cameo for her in the next fic.


	11. Bonus: Alternate Ending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you I was crazy enough to do it, and by gum I'm doing it. 
> 
> This diverges from the regular story towards the end of chapter 9.
> 
> I actually struggled with the decision of whether or not to have Jigen turn in this story while I was writing it, and while ultimately I decided on the route that wrapped things up in a neater fashion, this what-if scenario kept coming back to tickle my brain. I could actually do another couple chapters following this path, but I'm not sure whether it would be best to stick them on here, or make them their own separate ficlet... thoughts?

The wind is getting louder, and all of a sudden he can understand what it says.

A whisper of three words, and the world cracks.

No… He has to go back. He  _ has _ to, but the ground is falling away and crumbling into the abyss when he turns around, forcing him to back up to keep from tumbling down with it. 

No, he  _ promised! _

_ “You gotta promise to fight this stupid curse as hard as you can.” _

A distressed whine comes from the back of his throat, the despair creeping into his paws to drag him towards the swallowing dark. The cracks in the world seem to tremble and grow, and the nothingness between the pieces is getting closer, closer.

A sharp bark comes from behind him, and the next thing he knows, the one-eyed wolf is shoving him away from the edge, snarling and nipping at his fur to snap him out of his stupor. 

The only way back is to move forward.

The world continues to splinter and crack, but he’s sprinting ahead now. The voices in the wind are all he’s thinking of, and he won’t forget it again. Lupin just has to wait a little longer…

* * *

Anders’ claws dig into Lupin’s ankle as he’s dragged towards the beast, ignoring the thief’s attempts to kick and struggle away. His mind whirs at a million miles an hour, trying to think, trying to work out some miraculous escape like he’s done so many times before... 

But the next thing he knows, he’s being dropped like a sack of potatoes onto the forest floor as a monstrous scream roars out behind him. 

A second werewolf has flung itself onto Anders, snarling and snapping at his throat in a blind rage as they try to knock the bulkier beast to the ground. Blood splatters the forest floor, but he throws the newcomer back, sending them skidding across the leaves and forcing Lupin to scurry aside to keep from being crushed. 

Yellow eyes flicker to the thief, and he gets a moment to properly look at his furry savior.

This wolf is much thinner than Anders, with longer, lankier limbs and darker fur that grows a bit shaggier around the face. There’s still wildness and animalistic ferocity in those eyes, but they’re looking at Lupin as though he’s the most important thing in the world, something to protect at all costs.

The thief’s legs turn to jelly and he slumps farther to the ground, his body numb and voice gone as he locks eyes with the half-frenzied creature. Because that posture, those  _ eyes… _

The pieces click, and Lupin  _ knows. _

* * *

Lupin. Lupin! He found him, he found him in time!

This big fucker hurt him, he can smell the hint of blood on the thief, and it causes the burning anger in his chest to flare even brighter. He barely knows anything through the pull of overwhelming instinct, but he knows Lupin. This small, fragile creature who means  _ everything, _ even if he isn’t sure why -- he has to keep him safe. Nothing else matters.

The bigger wolf growls and shakes himself off, but the beast with dark fur is moving before he can take so much as a single step forward. 

Scraps of thought and muscle-memory tell him he knows how to fight, guiding his movements and steering his inhuman fury as he ducks under a powerful swipe and lunges for his enemy’s legs. They both come crashing down in a heap, too enraged to hesitate even as their claws dig into each other, and he can barely hear Lupin’s voice over the snarling and the sound of his own heart in his ears. The wounds are healing almost as quickly as they’re inflicted, and the taste of blood only intensifies the rush of adrenaline... but it dulls his senses to everything else.

He can’t hear the footsteps until it’s too late. He howls in rage and confusion as arms wrap around his middle, tearing him up off the enemy and dragging him back no matter how hard he thrashes. Other wolves are encircling them, and his head whips around to look for Lupin in a panic. An old, graying beast is standing over the thief, reaching down towards him…

No! NO!  _ NO ONE CAN TOUCH HIM! _

The large wolf who had been holding him shrieks in pain as he bites down on her arm as hard as he can, feeling the crunch of bone before he wrenches from her grip with all his might. Another beast leaps in and shoves the elder away the instant they see him charge, before his claws can reach her, but he doesn’t care. She means nothing. They all mean nothing. 

He hunches on all fours, standing over Lupin’s collapsed form with his ears pinned back and fur bristling as he bares his teeth at the surrounding pack, a low growl rumbling in his chest. Most of them are still focused on the bigger bastard as he tries to get up, but there are still eyes on him, and too many eyes on Lupin. 

They can’t have him. Nobody can hurt him.  _ Nobody. _

Even the authority and aura of leadership radiating from the old wolf when she turns back to face him only makes him hunker down further, meeting her cool gaze with defiance and anger. Lupin yelps as one clawed hand reaches down and pulls the thief up against his chest, and he can feel the human’s heartbeat pounding, only adding fuel to the fire of protective desperation.

He only needs a second, a moment’s opportunity, and they can run. They can escape, and he won’t let anybody catch them. He just…

Hands grab either side of his face and suddenly pull his head down, his startled eyes meeting Lupin’s severe gaze. The thief is speaking, making sounds that are so achingly familiar, but still meaningless, as his thumbs briefly stroke the wolf’s face without loosening his grip. The sounds are stern, shaking, soothing, wounded; but more than anything, they are  _ pleading. _

He doesn’t understand. How does he make this better? The pack around them is all but forgotten as he stares helplessly at Lupin’s pale face, whimpering softly at the anguish in every movement and sound the thief makes. 

He doesn’t understand.

* * *

“Jigen, c’mon, I’m okay. They’re friends, remember? Don’t… don’t you remember?”

Lupin can’t even try to keep his voice from shaking anymore, and he doesn’t care. All he can think to do is to keep talking, just saying anything and everything that comes into his head that might do  _ something. _ Something that might cause even the tiniest spark of recognition in the glowing yellow eyes staring down at him.

He can’t afford to think right now. He knows it will utterly ruin him if he stops to let what’s happening sink in, and if he falls apart there’s no telling how Jigen might react. He can’t afford that risk. 

Snarls and low growling come from the circle around Anders, but Lupin doesn’t turn to look. His gaze and hands are solely focused on keeping Jigen’s attention, straining to hold the werewolf’s head still so he doesn’t look at whatever’s happening either. 

“Hey, focus on me, okay? I know you’re freaked out, and honestly I’m not exactly in my comfort zone right now either, but you don’t haveta fight anybody else.” Lupin pauses and swallows the lump in his throat at the complete lack of response. “...You really can’t understand anything I’m saying, huh?”

The only answer is more of that confused staring, and he just can’t keep looking, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath to steady his nerves. He can still feel the inhuman arm wrapped around him, and the warmth is sort of comforting if he just focuses on the fact that it  _ is _ still Jigen. 

It’s still him. He’s not dead, and if he’s still so protective of his partner, then surely there’s some humanity left in there, right? He can’t have gone feral if he’s not trying to rip Lupin to shreds, right? The thief wishes he could ask Alpha, but he’s very aware that now would be a bad time, and not just because she’s currently unable to speak. 

He feels the wolf’s head shift between his hands, and the next second his eyes snap open as something warm and wet suddenly touches his cheek. 

Well... having his partner turn into a werewolf and lick him, that’s certainly a new one. 

“Why Jigen, I didn’t think you were into PDA,” the snark is automatic, even if the wolf can’t understand him, but he’d like to think Jigen relaxes a tiny bit at the sight of his smirk.

A sharp howl, one angry snarl, and suddenly there’s a gorey cacophony behind his back, causing Jigen’s head to snap up as his hackles raise again. Lupin can only assume that Anders made a wrong move, and the pack is descending on him, but that’s not his problem now. He could care less for Anders’ fate; he has something so much more important to do.

“Hey, look at me,” he uses all his strength to pull Jigen’s face back down before he can get too riled up. “Don’t worry ‘bout them, just look at me, okay?”

The smell of blood is getting stronger, and Lupin can only imagine how it must be driving the wolf crazy, just by the strained look on his face and the slight shiver in his limbs.

"Stay with me."

* * *

Every instinct is screaming with bloodlust, telling him to hunt, to kill, to eat. So much of him wants to, but he won't listen. The beast may not know who he is, but he knows he's a stubborn fucker, and he won't leave Lupin while there are so many threats around.

If he looks up, he can see the gorey frenzy over Lupin's head, and the sounds of screaming and tearing are creeping in over the human's voice as he keeps making noises. The whole thing is a sensory overload battering against his willpower, drawing whimpering growls from him as every muscle tenses.

But then his head is pulled down again, and Lupin is looking him in the eye with that stare he can't turn away from, and he remembers that this is what matters. This is all that matters.

He needs to keep Lupin safe, which means…

Suddenly he realizes the pack has been moving while he was distracted, and he's instantly on alert again, his grip on the human tightening. Now they're the ones who are surrounded.

The old wolf is approaching, and he snarls at her despite Lupin's attempts to get his attention. She stops, but keeps gazing at him like he's some misbehaving pup, as though she's waiting for him to back down on his own. When he just growls, her eyes flick to Lupin, who is twisting himself as much as he can to meet her stare, making more of those sounds the wolf holding him can't quite understand.

More noises, and she nods her head.

The pack is shifting in the trees around them, but the elder walks away, only pausing to point one arm as she glances at Lupin again. 

He can't quite connect the dots of what's happening, and it distracts him just long enough for Lupin to squirm and bend, and suddenly the thief is jumping back, out of his grasp. The wolf makes a startled, panicked sound, but Lupin doesn't go far, still standing a few paces from him with his hands held out in front of him. He's making a gesture, and when the beast takes a hesitant step forward, his face lights up.

He sticks close, but only tries to grab hold of Lupin once before the thief's avoidance and stern voice convinces him to simply follow as close as he can, grumbling in annoyance. The pack moves with them slowly enough to maintain their distance, though he still periodically snaps and growls at them to make sure.

This isn't safe; what is Lupin doing? Where is he going? This is wrong; they need to get away from here, away from all the  _ eyes… _

But Lupin keeps leading him, ever-so-slowly, following the old wolf away from the smell of blood and violence. Lupin is still talking, always drawing his attention whenever he starts worrying about the pack too much, and it keeps his straining nerves from snapping until finally,  _ finally _ the others start to back away.

They stop in a small open area by a stream, and as he sniffs the air the pack disappears into the trees -- all except for one. A female who tugs at something in his memory for a moment before the sensation passes, sitting a short distance away and making no attempt to hide her presence, just watching them. He doesn't like it, but Lupin all but collapses with his back against a tree without paying her any mind, so the wolf grudgingly leaves her alone. 

He flops down beside Lupin, blocking him from the other wolf as he curls up as best he can with his monstrous limbs, glaring at the stranger the entire time. But the human reaches out and runs a hand through his fur, and just like that, some of the paranoid tension leaves him.

Maybe… maybe this is alright. For now.

* * *

Lupin doesn't know just how long he sits there, stuck in a sort of daze. After a while, Jigen gets too twitchy to hold still and gets up to start pacing around -- though he never wanders out of sight, frequently returning to sniff at the thief and growl at their babysitter. Lupin is pretty sure it's Rajata, but he's just… too worn out to ask.

He's completely numb. The shock of failure and its implications are smothering him, fraying his nerves every time he looks at the creature loping around in the moonlight. It’s probably for the best, to have no emotions rather than too many, especially when there’s an unstable werewolf with a fiercely protective streak checking on him every few minutes.

For all his desire to stay awake and watch in case things go wrong, it isn’t long before the utter exhaustion of the past couple days sinks in and weighs the thief down. All it takes is making the mistake of resting his eyes for a moment, and he’s out like a light.

When Lupin flinches awake, he’s no longer outside. After a few seconds of flailing and tangling himself up in blankets, he’s able to look around and recognize the infirmary from yesterday, though there are claw marks in the walls and floor he doesn’t remember seeing before. His ankle is bandaged where Anders’ claws had dug in, and the handful of other scrapes from the fight have been cleaned up…How tired must he have been to not wake up for any of that? He isn’t exactly a heavy sleeper; it would be far too dangerous in his line of work. 

But any worries he has about his own needs evaporate the second he realizes he isn’t alone. 

Jigen is sitting on the edge of another bed across the room, doubled over with his head in his hands. He’s here, he changed back, and for a minute it’s all Lupin can do to keep from breaking down in relief at the sight of him. 

Before he can reclaim the power of speech, the gunman heaves a heavy sigh without looking up.

“M’sorry.”

Lupin blinks. “Sorry? What’re  _ you _ sorry for?”

For a minute there’s no answer, but finally Jigen runs his hands down his face and lifts his head. He looks drained. “Couldn’t keep that promise.”

“Promi-- Oh.” The thief frowns a little as recollection dawns on him. “Hey, don’t worry about that. I’m just glad you’re alive and not insane.”

Jigen just grimaces, and things go quiet again. The weight of the situation is truly bearing down on them now, watching each other as the fear of it takes hold, both powerless in the face of this horrific reality: Jigen can’t leave, and Lupin can’t stay.

Slowly, quietly, in a voice that’s much too broken to be coming from his partner of so many years:

“Lupin… What do we do now?”


End file.
